42 
SOME NOTES ON A. BELLARGUS, WITH REFERENCES TO 
ALLIED SPECIES. 
(Read March 19th, 1907, by Dr. G. G. C. HODGSON.) 
ith a view to filling up the gap in the absence of advertised 
paper, these few notes are hurriedly put together— in re mainly A. 
bellargus, and the closely approximating ? of A. corydon and P. argus 
(i aegon), and in less degree the species most closely allied to these as 
occurring in England. 
Beginning with Adonis (with which solely these notes first set out 
to deal), the dates in general for this species occur to me, and in this 
connection, in passing, one cannot refrain from commenting on a 
phase which must have puzzled us all, viz., the dates one finds given 
by authorities for various events extraordinarily at variance with 
experience of present time, e.g., the blooming of plants:—Bee orchis 
gi\en as flowering in “May” (not exclusively one is only left to 
infer); Bellargus, time of appearance “May and August,” Newman, 
though the first specimens do not invariably emerge till June and 
September, and if in May quite one of the latter days is the first date. 
And only by quite artificial means have I ever been able to obtain Bee 
orchis blossom in May. 
Only in three years have I noticed Bellargus in May. In two 
consecutive years, 1905 and 1906, Bellargus S s seen in May, on 27th 
and 29th respectively, giving five days and three days of flight for this 
species. 
In one other year (earliest record noted—in diary without year date) 
May 24th is only other record made earlier than June. 
These remarks would be only less emphatic as regards second-brood 
that it is mainly a September phenomenon in most years. To what is 
due this discrepancy in statements of competent observers might he a 
ruitful source of discussion. It is noteworthy that in connection with 
these we cannot be indebted for unusual records to the artifice of 
other human beings, with their cuckoo clocks and other devices. 
These remarks by no means touch the limits where perhaps lie 
such records as (? at Selbome) of M. cinxia in August. (White 
Natural History of Selbome .) 
A piopos of A. bellargus the following dates collected are perhaps 
ot interest: Two years, 1877 and 1879, gives us dates November 
oth and November 6th; 1889 gives end of October, possibly also 
November (for these I am indebted to Mr. Sidney Webb); one" year 
1903, Surrey North Downs daily in October till 10th. 
In connection with this falls the consideration of the extent of 
e duiation of imaginal state in both broods. I believe it used to be 
considered that as a rule five weeks would fairly cover the combined 
periods of both broods in imaginal condition. 
Thus in 1888, collecting at Bevingdean (Sussex), first (tf) 
bellargus was seen on September 13th, and the first day on which none 
