| OCR Text |
1882.] MR. H.J. ELWES ON BUTTERFLIES FROM SIKKIM. 401 Ladak at 16,000 feet; besides three others in Mr. Godman's collection from Lapsang in Ladak, 17,000 feet; and a single specimen, which agrees perfectly in all the characters I have mentioned with these, and is intermediate in size between P. acco and P. simo, was among m y fourteen examples of P. sikkimensis, showing, if m y views are correct, that the species are constantly different, though they occur together in similar localities 800 or 900 miles apart. PARNASSIUS HARDWICKII, Gray, Cat. Lep. B. M. p. 76, t. xii. figs. 8-11. Var. C H A R I N O , Gray, I. c. A very variable species, found from Kashmir to Sikkim, from about 8000 feet up to 15,000. The variety named P. charino by Gray occurs at this great elevation in Ladak; and four specimens, which agree with his plate in being of much darker colour than the common form, came with P. sikkimensis. It may be known with certainty by the five blue eyes on the hind wing, which, so far as I have seen, are never wanting, though sometimes reduced to spots. PIERIS BRASSIC^E, Linn. P. brassica, var. nipalensis, Doubld. Lep. Brit. Mus. i. p. 32 ; Gray, Lep. Nepal, p. 9, t. 6. figs. 1, 3. P. nipalensis, Moore, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 490. I cannot see any reason to separate this from the European insect. A series of specimens from Sikkim, Nepal, and Kashmir average larger than British ones, but not larger than some I have from Asia Minor; and there is nothing in colour to distinguish them. There were many examples in the present collection. PIERIS AJAKA, Moore, P. Z. S 1865, p. 490, t. xxxi. fig. 16. A single female of an insect which for the present I refer to this species, which, however, I do not see how to separate from the forms which I have alluded to previously from Amurland and Japan (cf. P.Z.S. 1881, p. 876). It is intermediate between P. melete and P. napi above, and resembles the form bryonice beneath. Similar specimens from the Khasia hills are in m y collection. DELIAS BELLADONNA, Fabr., Gray, Lep. Ins. Nepal, t. 8. fig. 2. It seems to me that there are two species confused under this name. Those I have from Nepal agree perfectly with Gray's plate ; but the Sikkim form, of which I have now secured several specimens, has in most cases no yellow on the anal angle or interior margin of hind wing. In some specimens, however, there is a trace of it; so that without knowing more of the intermediate forms in distribution, I should hesitate to separate this form. COLIAS MYRMIDONE, Esp. C. myrmidone, Koll., Hug. Kasch. Reise, p. 411. C.feildi, Men. Cat. Mus. Petr. i. p. 79, t. 1. tig. 5. |
