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Show 1881.] OF AMURLAND, NORTH CHINA, A N D JAPAN. 895 NEPTIS PRYERI, Butler, Trans. Ent. Soc. 1871, p. 561; Lep. t. 63; Jans. Cist. Ent. ii. p. 155. Limenitis arBoretorum, Oberthiir, Et. Ent. ii. p. 24, t. iii. (1876). Found in Japan by Jonas and Maries, at Ningpo by Pryer, Kiangsi by David, and at Vladivostock by Christoph. I have no Japanese specimens; but Mr. Janson says that several taken at the foot of Oyama by Jonas, agree perfectly with Ober-thiir's figure of N. arBoretorum. I may say the same of those from Vladivostock in Dr. Staudinger's collection. N. SANGAICA, Moore, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, xx. p. 47. Said to be most nearly allied to N. alompra from Assam ; but the type specimens from Ningpo in Pryer's collection seem to me very near N. eurynome, Westw., though distinguished by the absence on both sides of hind wing of the marginal lunules. The intermediate white band is almost obsolete. N. EURYNOME, Westw. in 2nd edit. Donov. Ins. China, p. 66 (1842). Papilio leucothoe, Donov. Ins. China, t. 35. fig. 3 (1798), nee Cram. From the Ningpo hills {Pryer). N. ALWINA, Brem. & Grey, Schm. ndrdl. China, p. 7, t. i. fig. 4 (1853). 1 Limenitis kazmpferi, De l'Orza, Lep. Jap. p. 40 (1869). ?AT. excellens, Butler, Cist. Ent. ii. p. 282 (1878). Three specimens from Japan in my collection differ but very little from Bremer's figure of N. alwina, which comes from Pekin, though the spots on upperside of fore wing are not quite so large or well formed. Two specimens from Chefoo in Dr. Staudinger's collection also come very close to N. alwina. L. kampferi is probably the same ; but the description is obscure. As regards N. excellens, Butler, I find that the type of this insect in the British Museum is a paper figure stuck on a pin, the " excellent drawing" from which the species was described (see Cist. Ent. ii. p. 282), I believe specimens have since been received corresponding with this figure ; but it seems to me that the practice of describing from figures in such a case as this can only lead to confusion, and that there can be no excuse for it when the specimens from which the figures are taken are believed to exist. The excellence of a drawing for scientific purposes consists in its likeness to the original, which cannot be known without comparison with the specimen. JUNONIA LEMONIAS, Linn. Mus. Ulr. p. 277. Recorded by De l'Orza from Japan. |