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Show 544 MR. A. G. BUTLER ON THE [Dec. 4, 1884, when I published an account of a collection of Butterflies made by Mr. Woodford in the Fiji Islands. At p. 345 of the 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History' (5th series, vol. xiii.), under Hypolimnas pallescens, I state:-" The series collected by Mr. Woodford shows a series of gradations, commencing with the extremely pale form figured in Brenchley's ' Voyage,' through a series of gradually darkening forms near to H. antigone of Batavia, to a smoky brown form in which the markings, excepting the discal series of white spots on the primaries, are much obscured; the general character of H. pallescens, apart from the ground-tint, is nevertheless retained throughout the series." The fact that the males differ as well as the females has been overlooked, and this can only be accounted for on the supposition that Mr. Mathew did not examine the under surface of the wings, where in many nearly alllied species the best characters are frequently to be discovered ; as will be seen, he states that the males vary " in no way whatever," whereas I have never found any difficulty in assigning the males to their proper females, by looking to the pattern and colouring of the under surface. That two or three forms, differing in both sexes and each showing some slight degree of variation, exist together in each locality is a truth which cannot be questioned, and that these two or three forms may be seasonal types of one species in each locality is possible ; but to associate thirty or forty distinct forms from an area extending from Northern India to Southern Australia (because some of the forms from neighbouring islands are nearly allied), as one extremely variable species, is at once to regard " genus " and "species "as synonymous terms. It is at any rate pretty clear that only one form, and that distinct from any of those previously received, occurs ou Christmas Island. LYC^ENID-E. LYC-ENIN.3E. 3. NACADUBA ALUTA. Cupido aluta, Druce, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 349. n. 16, pi. 32. fig. 8. Three male examples, taken in the bush, October 1st. This «uecies was described from Bornean specimens : the Museum collection contains a series from Malacca. PAPILIONID-E. PIERIN^E. 4. TERIAS AMPLEXA. Terias amplexa, Butler, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1887, p. 523, fig. 5. 8. Flying-Fish Cove, October 1st; 3 8 8, west end of Christmas Island, October 3rd. The specimens correspond in every respect with the type previously received. |
