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Show 404 MR. H. j. ELWES ON BUTTERFLIES FROM SIKKIM. [May 2, the others, which, judging from the collector's marks, were taken CEneis pumila and Parnassius at a very great elevation. This species has a very distinct and peculiar appearance, quite unlike any other Argynnis'. Above, the markings are generally similar in arrangement to those of A. gemmata ; but the row of spots on the exterior margin are usually whitish, the ground-colour is paler, and the fringes spotted with white. Beneath, the position and arrangement of the markings are very similar to those of A. gemmata ; but all the silvery spots are more elongated and less brilliant, and the deep fulvous markings are almost absent. Expanse 1*1 inch, except the single specimen above mentioned, which is 1*4 inch across. A R G Y N N I S G E M M A T A . (Plate X X V . figs. 6, 7•) A. gemmata, Butler, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1881, vii. p. 32 ; Elwes, /. c. 1881, vii. p. 467. Of this distinct and lovely species I received a considerable number of both sexes, which I take the opportunity of figuring here, as a coloured plate is necessary to give an idea of its beauty. The females differ from the males in having the base and posterior margin of the fore wing grey, and the marginal spots pale outside ; the fringes also are pale-spotted, which is not the case in the males. This species must be very abundant at some localities, probably at a great elevation ; and it is just possible that A. allissima is a still more alpine form of it, analogous to A. melitaa, var. merope, though more different from A. gemmata than A. merope is from A. aurinia. ARGYNNIS CHILDRENI, Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 33 ; Lep. Ins. Nep. p. 11, t. 11. A single pair of this fine species. AGRYNNIS LATHONIA, Linn. A. issaa, Moore, apud Gray, Lep. Ins. Nep. p. 11. Moore seems to have followed Gray, who followed Doubleday, in separating the Himalayan form from the European one. I cannot find that any description of it has been published ; and I agree with Kollar in saying that it is identical with A. lathonia, though a large series of specimens seem somewhat larger and darker than a series from various parts of Europe. There were some hundreds in the present collection ; but the insect is not common near Darjeelin°\ CHIONOBAS PUMILUS. (Plate XXV. fig. 3.) C. pumilus, Feld. Reise Nov. p. 490, t. 69. Ten specimens agree very fairly with Felder's plate ; but the markings are more distinct and well defined, especially the out-r edge of the band on the hind wing. My specimens are also darker in colour and less yellow in tint than the figure of C. pumilus. As the papers containing these specimens were marked in Tibetan with the same characters as the Parnassius, I presume they were taken at the |