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Show 1868.] COMMANDER KNOCKER ON PELAGIC SHELLS. 615 NEUROSIGMA, g. n. Typical species Neurosigma siva. Nearly allied to Romaleeosoma, of which it is probably the eastern representative; it differs, however, in neuration. Body, palpi, and antennse formed and coloured as in Romaleeosoma ; the wings coloured as in some Eastern species of Argynnis : the discoidal cells closed ; the upper discocellular of front wings extremely minute ; the middle short and transverse ; the lower long, transverse, and gently waved, meeting the third median nervule close to the origin of the second; the upper discocellular of hind wings short and arched inwardly ; the lower long, arched outward, slightly angulated in the centre, and meeting the third median nervule just beyond the origin of the second. NEUROSIGMA SIVA. Adolias siva, Westwood, Cab. Orient. Ent. p. 76, tab. 37. fig-. 4 (1847). Nepal. j 2, B.M. Adolias confines of Felder (Wien. ent. Monatschr. iii, p. 182, taf. 4, 1859) is identical with Abrota jumna, Moore, not A. ganga, as stated by Gerstaecker. DESCKIPTION OF PLATE XLV. Fig. 1. Adolias vacillaria, Butl., p. 606. 2& 9. decoratus, Butl., p. 605. '6& 10. cocytus, Fabr., p. 607. 4. monina, Fabr., p. 608. 5. Symphcedra canescens, Butl., p. 612. 6. Adolias xiphiones, Butl., p. 609. 7. Tanaecia supercilia, Butl., p. 610. 8. violaria, Butl., p. 612. 9. On Pelagic Shells collected during a voyage from Vancouver Island to this country. By Commander H U GH H. KNOCKER, R.N., C.M.Z.S. Having lately returned, in command of H.M.S. 'Alert,' from Pacific, where I had been sent to bring home that vessel (I found her at Esquimalt in September 1867), I now beg to send, for the information of the Zoological Society, a sketch of my researches in pelagic shells during my passage home. I conceived the idea on leaving Vancouver that, as I was going to pass through the four great oceans (viz. North and South Pacific, and South and North Atlantic), I might usefully try by the tow-net if it were possible to determine where the several species began and terminated, or whether they ran throughout the whole, or parts only, of these vast extents of water; and by the Table herewith sent it will be seen with what success. |