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Show 22 MR. H. J. ELWES ON THE GENUS PARNASSIUS. [J as a rare aberration in P. apollo, and the large ocelli on the hind wing are sometimes all red without white in the centre. The variety named P. hesebolus by Nordmann, according to Alphe-raky's notes on the Butterflies of Kuldja and the Thian Shan, is found from the end of May to about the 7th of August, between 3500 and 9000 feet. The difference between this form and P. apollo of the Alps consists in the greater size of both sexes, and the whiter colour of the wings in the male, whilst in the female the reverse is the case, so that the difference in colour between the sexes is greater in this variety than in the typical P. apollo. P. hesebolus appears to be the prevailing form from the Ural Mountains eastwards, though in the Tarbagatai Haberhauer found a form more like the Swiss one. In the Caucasian province the Grand Duke Nicholas says that " the var. hesebolus is found in the same places as P. apollo and many specimens show the transition from the type to the variety." In the Carpathians, near Eperies, the form found is more like P. hesebolus ; whilst in the Jura, according to Meyer-Diir, the P. apollo can always be distinguished from those of the Alps by their duller, more yellowish ground colour of the wings. Though P. apollo is sometimes found flying at the same place and time as P. delius, I have never seen a specimen which could be certainly looked upon as a hybrid. Dr. Christ of Basle has one which may be such ; but the antennae seemed to me to resemble those of P. apollo. Meyer-Diir quotes Meissner to the effect that a hermaphrodite of this species was taken on Oct. 10, 1816, on the hill of Tourbillon, near Sion in Wallis. He describes it as follows :- "The right-hand side is female, the left male; the two wings of the female side are longer and broader, the red ocellus larger than on the male side, the right antenna is also longer and stronger. The abdomen has only in the middle somewhat longer hairs. But what proves the hermaphroditism most remarkably is the apex of the body, which not only has the horny pouch peculiar to the female in this family, but also the male organ clearly projecting." I have seen in the collection of Herr Rbder, at Wiesbaden, a hermaphrodite of P. delius, obtained from the late Dr. Settari of Meran, which has the left-hand wings perfectly female, and the right male; the left side of the body is also less hairy than the right, and though there is no clearly developed pouch, there are indications of hermaphroditism. The distinguishing characters between P. apollo and P. delius are in typical specimens clear enough and are enumerated by Meyer-Diir on page 18 of his ' Buttei flies of Switzerland;' but the only points which seem to be in all cases absolutely reliable are the hairs of the body and the antenna), which on comparison show well-marked and constant difference. P. DELIUS. Parnassius delius, Esp. pi. 115, fig. 5 (1790?). |
