The two forms encroach but little on each other's territory, but where
they do coexist, a third form, known as _proserpina_, is found which is
almost intermediate, with the white bands much reduced. There is now
no doubt that this _proserpina_ is a heterozygous form, resulting from
a combination of the characters of _arthemis_ and _astyanax_. Field
succeeded in rearing a brood of 16 from a _proserpina_ mother caught
wild which laid 31 eggs, and of these, nine (five males, four females)
resembled the mother, being _proserpina_, and seven (four males, three
females) were _arthemis_. There can be no question therefore that the
mother had been fertilised by a male _arthemis_ and that _no-white-band_
is a factor partially dominant over the _white band_. Another point of
interest which Field observed was that the _proserpina_ female refused
to lay on birch, poplar or willow, but accepted wild cherry (_Prunus
serotina_) a species on which _astyanax_ can live, though that tree is
not known to be eaten by _arthemis_. Incidentally also the observations
show that sterility cannot be supposed to be the bar which maintains the
distinctness of _arthemis_ and _astyanax_.
In this connection _Papilio oregonia_ and _bairdii_ should be
mentioned.[14] _P. oregonia_ is one of the numerous forms like
_machaon_, but rather paler. It is a northern insect, inhabiting British
Colombia east of the Cascade Range, and reaching to Colorado. _P.
bairdii_ is a much darker butterfly, representing the _asterias_ group
of the genus _Papilio_. Like _asterias_ it has the abdomen spotted at
the sides, not banded as in the _machaon_ group. It belongs to Arizona
and Utah extending into Colorado. From Colorado the form _brucei_ is
described, more or less intermediate, like _bairdii_ but with the
abdomen banded as in _oregonia_. W. H. Edwards records the results of
rearing the offspring of the _bairdii_-like and of the _oregonia_-like
mothers. Each was found able to have offspring of both kinds, that is to
say, _bairdii_ females gave both forms, and _oregonia_ females gave both
forms. It is not possible to say which is dominant, since the fathers
were unknown. On general grounds one may expect that the _bairdii_ form
will be found to dominate, but this is quite doubtful.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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