28 
Psyche 
[March 
32:109; holotype $ -f-5 $ $ & 3$ $. Type locality: 
Sicamous, B. C., Canada. New Synonymy. 
The name vau-album was proposed, together with several 
other names, in one very limited description by Schiffer- 
muller and Denis in 1775. In addition, there are no 
figures of the species given and this name could easily 
be considered a nomen nudum as Stichel (1909) has done. 
However, most of the other names in this volume were 
proposed in a similar vague fashion and many are presently 
in general use. Therefore, I have followed the example 
of Grey, Klots, and dos Passos (1952), as regards this 
publication, and am considering vau-album as validly 
proposed. Because of this, L-album Esper, 1781, falls as 
a direct synonym of vau-album on the basis of priority. 
The names j-album Boisduval, watsoni Hall, and samurai 
Fruhstorfer are synonymized. J-album and watsoni are 
the names applied to North American populations of vau- 
album. They differ from the Palearctic populations in 
that they average slightly smaller 2 and are more lightly 
marked along the outer margin of the upperside of the 
hindwing. These differences are very weak, however, 
and would probably break down completely when material 
covering the whole range of the species becomes available. 
In addition, a comparision of the male genitalia of speci- 
mens from the two areas failed to reveal any differences 
that were not attributable to individual variation. 
The name samurai applies to populations from the 
easternmost portions of the Palearctic. This subspecies 
is supposed to be distinguished from nominotypical vau- 
album by the following characters: $ S with richer black 
designs above and a distinct white band on the under- 
side of the hing wing, $ $ more darkly marked below 
and along the basal edge of the hindwing above. These 
2 The measurement used as an index of relative size was the length 
of the costa from base to apex as measured with a vernier caliper. 
Measurements are given to the nearest millimeter and are as follows: 
Palearctic populations, $ # N = 12, Mean 31 mm., Range = 27-33 
mm.; $ §N = 4 , Mean =: 32 mm., Range = 30-33 mm.; Nearctic 
population, $ $ N = 19, Mean = 32 mm., Range = 31-55 mm.; 
2 $ N = 16, Mean = 33 mm., Range = 30-37 mm. 
