238 ]N'YMPHALID.5i. 
narrower, more curved, and continued inwardly along the nervures ; the secondaries have the 
inner series of spots united and forming an irregular zigzag baud, and the marginal line is 
greenish brown ; beneath, the primaries have a large greenish apical patch extending further 
inwardly and along the outer margin than the brown one oi jcqwnica, the submargiual black 
spots are very indistinct, and the transverse row of white spots is entirely absent ; the basal 
half of secondaries is greener, and the reddish transverse basal line is not waved, the silvery 
spots are better defined, the apical half is darker, with two rows of ill-defined lunular spots, 
and a marginal band metallic greeu. Expanse of wings 3| inches." {Jaiison, 1. c.) 
Mr. Elwes (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1SS9, p. 562) is of opinion that 
Motschulsky's description of A. ruslana cannot be applied to this insect, and 
suggests that Janson's A. li/sipjie should be adopted as the type. It is true 
that, in a general way perhaps, Motschulsky's diagnosis of ruslana would 
apply to several species of Arr/ynn is, but, as he distinctly refers to A. laodice, 
it seems clear that he had an insect under observation which agreed, in most 
characters, better with that species than with any other Argynnis with which 
he was acquainted. In the matter of size A. ruslana varies from 56-78 millim. 
in the male, and from 70-82 millim. in the female. It is generally larger 
than Russian A. laodice, but some Chinese specimens of the last-named species 
are larger than any A. ruslana that I have ever seen. On the other hand, I 
have a specimen of A. ruslana from Chang-yang which is no larger than the 
smallest Russian example of A. laodice in my series. 
The outer margin of primaries is concave in both sexes of A. ruslana, and 
the male has the sexual mark on the first and second median nervules and 
the submedian nervure. In the male of A. laodice this mark is only present 
on the first median nervule and the submedian nervure. The black spots of 
central series on secondaries in the male and on all the wings in the female 
are united, forming angular bands. On the under surface of the female the 
outer half of secondaries is olive-green, traversed by some violet-grey inter- 
rupted bands ; but in the male the under surface of all the wings is very 
similar to that of J. laodice, except as regards the central line of the second- 
aries, which in both sexes of A. ruslana is always less waved than in 
A. laodice. 
A curious aberration of the female, taken at Chang-yang by a native 
collector, is figured (Plate XXIII. fig. 4). This species as closely resembles 
A. paphia on the upper surface as it does A. laodice on the under surface, 
consequently it may often be passed over by the collector for one or the other 
of these species, as it occurs with them. 
