ARGYNNIS XIV. 
apical lunules whitish ; secondaries present a row of spots, a shade paler than the 
ground, corresponding to the second silvered row of under side. 
Under side of primaries yellow huff, deep fulvous at base, on inner margin 
throughout, and over three fourths of cell, passing into reddish buff towards inner 
angle ; sub-marginal spots enclosing, throughout, silver spaces. Secondaries pale 
buff, mottled with darker shade; silver spots large, the second row completely but 
delicately edged with black, the sub-marginal nearly ovate. 
Taken in the valleys of the Sierra, near Virginia City, Nevada. 
In the markings of upper side and in the form and size of the silver spots, JVe- 
vadensis is nearest Edwardsii. 
Mr. Henry Edwards, to whom we owe the discovery of this fine species, writes 
as follows respecting it. “The range of Ne vadensis appears to be very limited as 
I have only seen it in the immediate neighborhood of Virginia, but it is there by 
no means rare. It loves to fly about the warm canons of the mountains and is es- 
pecially abundant near Washoe Lake. This is a beautiful sheet of water about two 
miles wide by seven long almost on the summit of the spur of the Sierra of which 
Mt. Davidson is the highest peak and on the sides of which Virginia is built. It 
is nearly 6000 feet above the sea level and its shores are covered in the Spring with a 
luxuriant growth of Composite, Violacese and Liliacese. About this Lake during 
this summer (1870) I saw scores of Nevadensis, but I only captured a few, owing to 
their wonderfully swift flight. I rarely saw them alight and it was necessary to 
take them on the wing. The males are very pugnacious and chase each other with 
great earnestness. The capture of our mountain butterflies is always a task of diffi- 
culty from the uneven nature of the ground, and frequently the work is terrible. 
One has to toil over dry mountains covered with “ sage brush,” with not a tree in 
sight, and rarely is a drop of water to be found throughout a days tramp.” 
Note. — Since the publication of the plate of Arg. Edwardsii, that species has 
been confidently asserted by no less eminent authorities than Dr. Staudinger and 
Mr. Moschler to be identical with Aglaia. 
Dr. Staudinger writes, 6th April, 1871 : “There is not the least doubt that 
Arg. Edwardsii is Arg. Aglaia, Linn. There is not the least difference and the 
Aglaia from Asia differ much more from the true European type than your Ag- 
laia of Colorado, which differs only in name A 
I am not advised that either of these naturalists have any acquaintance with 
the American species beyond what is to be gained from my plate and description. 
Certainly the insect is as yet excessively rare in collections. 
At the date of publication of the plate, (1869) I had the use of the few spe- 
cimens collected by Messrs Wood, Drexler and Ridings, which comprised, so far as 
I knew, all that were to be found in collections in this country. Quite lately, Mr. 
T. L. Mead has placed in my hands a number of specimens taken by him, in June 
