166 
Y. P. KITCHIN—VARIATION 
(fig. 2), and specimens could be picked showing graduation in 
width down to fig. 3, in which the band has diminished to a mere 
spot. This variety closely approaches that named merope , which 
is found on the Alps. Other specimens show the band of a powdery 
reddish appearance, edged on the outer side by a thin line of black. 
Fig. 4 is a dwarfish variety with very narrow fore-wings. In 
fig. 5 is shown a specimen in which two of the wing-nervures on 
the upper wing (numbers 5 and 6) and one on the under wing are 
entirely missing, and are not even marked by the usual black lines. 
Fig. 10 shows also the half of wing-nervure number 6 (on upper 
wing) lacking. 
Variations of the Under Wing.— The central spot and lower 
spot in the band are missing in fig. 6. The same specimen shows 
the row of crescents round the hind-margin of the wing greatly 
reduced in size, and brownish yellow instead of clear whitish 
yellow. 
Fig. 7 shows a variation often present in ab. virgata. The yellow 
fascia or band of spots is continued almost to the base of the wing 
by an irregular oblong yellow patch. A similar extension of the 
corresponding band on the under-side is not infrequently found on 
the same specimens. It occurs also when the upper surface does 
not correspond (see fig. 9). 
Variations of the Under Side.— Black bands are sometimes 
found near the inner margin and costa corresponding to those on 
the upper side. 
The pale yellow fascia on the under wing is sometimes powdered 
with black scales. In fig. 8 it lacks the outer black line.* Fig. 9 
shows the spots of the yellow band joined to the basal patches to 
form irregular markings, and continued almost to the base of the 
wing by an oblong yellow patch. 
Variation of the Antenna.— I have one specimen in which 
the antennae are noticeably shorter than usual. 
Pathological Aberrations. — Several specimens have upper 
wings of different shapes and sizes on either side. In fig. 2 the 
costa is straight on the left side and curved on the right. 
Fig. 10 is that of a specimen which I watched emerging from 
the pupa. The wings lack scales over most of their area, but the 
fringes are all perfect. One wing-nervure is half missing (number 6 
on upper wing). 
Minor Variations. —Sometimes small black dots appear in the 
yellow patches, while again some of the black spots on the under 
wing may be missing (see fig. 6). 
These are the main variations which I have noticed. 
* There seems to be a tendency in most of the species of Melitcea towards this 
variation, in which the black markings are restricted to the basal portion of the 
under-side of both wings. I have in my possession a figure from a photograph of 
Melitcea didyma captured in Central France, which shows a similar absence of 
black markings except close to the base, and in a coloured plate issued in the 
‘ Transactions of the Linnean Society of Bordeaux ’ (lent to me by a friend) 
appears a similar variety of Melitcea, Phoebe. 
