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Show 1878.] BUTTERFLIES FROM N E W GUINEA. 647 ATHYMA LACTARIA. Athyma lactaria, Butl. Ann. & Mag. N. H. ser. 3, xvii. p. 98. Mainland of New Guinea. Agrees with the specimens in the British Museum. DIADEMA NERINA. Papilio nerina, Fab. Syst. Ent. p. 509; Donov. Ins. N. Holl. t. 27. f. 1. D'Entrecasteaux Islands. A female specimen, agreeing with others from Australia. DIADEMA ALIMENA. Papilio alimena, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 780. D'Entrecasteaux Islands. Agrees with Amboina specimens. Family PAPILIONID*. Subfamily PIERINAE. TERIAS HECABE. Papilio hecabe, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 763. Mainland of New Guinea. Subfamily PAPILIONIN^E. ORNITHOPTERA POSEIDON. Papilio poseidon, Doubl. Ann. & Mag. N. H. xix. p. 173 ; Wall. Trans. L. S. xxv. p. 35. Possession Bay and D'Entrecasteaux Islands. Dr. Comrie obtained a number of specimens of Ornithoptera (mostly females) in these two localities. Unfortunately most of them are in broken condition ; but enough remains to show an interesting range of variation in the females-enough, indeed, still further to discredit the many species of the O.-priamus group that have been attempted to be set up at various times. Some of the females from Possession Bay have the primaries spotless brown ; others show a trace of the light-coloured spot near the end of the cell. The specimens from D'Entrecasteaux Islands are strongly marked, indeed as much so as female examples of 0. arruana. Unfortunately, Dr. Comrie's collection contains only one male (from Possession Bay) in a condition to compare with examples from other localities. This seems to agree closely with typical specimens of 0. arruana, the apical angle of the secondaries being perhaps rather less acute; but the difference is very slight. Comparing this with Montrouzier's description of his 0. boisduvalii, from Woodlark Island (no great distance from Dr. Comrie's locality), we find it agree in every respect. So far, then, as we can see, these specimens tend to confirm the |
