232 
ARGYNNIS. By Dr. C. Aurivillius. 
smaragdi- 
fcra. 
excelsior. 
hanningtoni. 
baumanni. 
from the stalk of 7 -)- 8 + 9 or in baumanni , according to Rebel and Rogexhofer, exactly at the end of the ceil. 
In the three species known to me the precostal vein is long and at first straight, then slightly curved basad. All the species 
are evidently nearly allied and have practically almost the same markings, although the spots are more or less developed and 
the ground-colour is liable to variation. The wings have the ground-colour above pale yellow—orange-yellow—yellow-red 
with darkened basal third and transverse rows of black spots; at the distal margin there is a black light-spotted marginal 
band 1—2 mm. in breadth, formed by the union of the submarginal and marginal lines, then follows a row of 6 rounded sub- 
marginal dots and afterwards an irregular row of discal dots, which is sometimes absent on the hindwing, but on the fore¬ 
wing consists of 3 spots near the base of cellules lb—3 and of 3 connected spots in cellules 4—6, which form a right angle 
with the preceding; in addition the forewing has 3 black transverse streaks in the cell, one at the apex of the cell and one 
at the costal margin between the discal and the submarginal spots, and finally a black spot or dot is placed in the middle 
of cellule 1 b. The under surface of the forewing is lighter yellow or white-yellow at the apex and the distal margin, but 
has almost the same ground-colour and black markings as above and in addition some silvery spots before the apex; the hind¬ 
wing has the under surface much lighter, light yellow to whitish, with numerous silver spots and some rust-brown spots at 
the anal angle and apex and in the cell; in the latter there is in all the species a round, black-ringed silver spot and in ad¬ 
dition to this a black transverse streak; the discal spots are distinct and the submarginal dots are often ring-shaped with 
light centres. 
A. smaragdifera Btlr. (52 e) is somewhat larger than the other species of this group and also differs 
very considerably from them in other respects. The distal margin of the forewing quite straight; the black 
spots on the upper surface large and angular and the hindwing above both with discal spots and also with a 
thick spot at the apex of the cell and a transverse streak in the cell; the light spots of the marginal band are 
larger than in the other species; the submarginal dots in cellules 5 and 6 of the forewing beneath are light-pupilled 
and placed in a rust-brown spot, which is bordered on each side by 2 or 3 silvery spots; the under surface 
of the hindwing has about 20 sharply defined silver spots, of which the largest is placed in the middle and ex¬ 
tends from the black transverse streak of the cell to the black discal dot in cellule 4 and is divided by the un¬ 
spotted transverse vein of the cell into two parts of almost equal size; the silvery spots before the distal margin 
are not distally bordered with black. Ny ass aland, on the mountains. 
A. excelsior Btlr. (52 e) differs from smaragdifera in the curved distal margin of the forewing, the small, 
light spots in the marginal band, the much smaller black markings of the upper surface, the more reddish 
ground-colour of the upperside, the lighter under surface of the hindwing with the silvery spots not sharply 
defined, and the black streak on the discocellular of the hindwing beneath; the submarginal silver spots of the 
hindwing are separated by fine black streaks from the light yellow distal margin. First discovered on Ruwen- 
zori at an elevation of 5600—9000 ft. and afterwards found by Lieutenant A. Schultze on the highlands near 
Bamenda in the Cameroons; also occurs on Lake Tanganyika at an altitude of 1900—2100 m. 
A. hanningtoni Ehces (52 e) is very closely allied to excelsior, only differing in having the ground-colour 
of the upper surface pale yellow with larger black spots and in the silvery submarginal spots on the underside 
of the hindwing having no distal bordering. Kilimandjaro; British East Africa: Escarpment at 6500—9000 ft.; 
Uganda; Ruanda. 
A. baumanni Rebel & Rogenh. is unknown to me, but seems to be the same species as hanningtoni. 
At least the description fits well to this species except that the ground-colour of the upper surface is described 
as “rather light and bright red-yellow”. Taken on the mountain of Missasiya Mwesi in the Imbo-Urundi region, 
German East Africa, at an elevation of 2500 m. 
