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Show 314 MESSRS. G O D M A N AND SALVIN O N [May 6, 5. A List of the Rhopalocera collected by Mr. G. French Angas in the Island of Dominica. By F. D. G O D M AN and O. SALVIN. [Eeceived April 4, 1884.] (Plate XXV.) Our knowledge of the Lepidoptera of the West-Indian Islands is very imperfect, and, if we except the island of Cuba, nothing like a systematic attempt has ever been made to get together the fragmentary records on this subject which are scattered throughout zoological literature. It is true that lists like the present have been published of collections made in San Domingo and Puerto Rico, but these, for want of more ample materials, fail to give anything like a complete account of the Butterflies and Moths found in either of these islands. Enough, however, has been done to show in some measure the character of the Lepidoptera of the Antilles, the chief peculiarities of which lie in the total absence of some of the most characteristic groups of the Neotropical fauna. Of the Nymphalidse, the Danainse are fairly represented so far as the genus Danais is concerned, but the Ithomia are restricted to three or four species in the larger islands. Of Satyrinae there are hardly any (in the present collection none at all!). The Brassolinae are wholly absent, so also are the Morphinae. The Heliconinse are represented by H. charithonia and one or two species of Eueides. The Nymphalinae proper alone in this family maintain the peculiarity of the fauna, and in this subfamily there are a few peculiar genera and several very fine species. Of the Erycinidae, of which there are perhaps a thousand species on the mainland of South America, not a single one has yet been discovered on any of the Antilles. The Lycaenidae are represented by some common species of Lycana and a very few species of Thecla. The Pierinae in so poor a fauna are fairly numerous, and amongst them are some peculiar species. The Papilioninae, for the small number of species, are remarkable for their peculiarity and beauty-indeed Papilio homerus of Jamaica is a most marked species even in this wonderful genus. Finally, the Hesperidae, besides including several species of very wide range, also embrace a good many peculiar species, but all of more or less extensive genera. The number of species in Mr. Angas's collection is 27, which are distributed amongst the families of Rhopalocera as follows :- Nymphalidse. Danainae 1 Nymphalinae 7 Lycaenidae 3 Papilionidae. Pierinse 5 Papilioninee 1 Hesperidae 10 |