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Show 972 DR. A. G. BUTLER ON BUTTERFLIES [Nov. 28, reduced to less than half its width. The female differs in the same way, but retains its vivid orange colouring. Expanse of wings, cS 56-60 millim., $ 54 millim. 6 6,2, Tana River, 3800 feet, 4th & 16th January, 1899. Of the male Mr. Crawshay writes-" Plentiful on a bush with a red flower, where I could have taken any number in season; but nowhere else have I seen this insect." This is probably the Eastern representative of P. pigea. [An allied species of Pina-copteryx common in the same country, but hitherto identified with P. orbona, is described below *.] 52. PlNACOPTERYX SPILLERI Staud. 6 6, Tana River, 3800 feet, 4th & 16th January, 1899. In Staudinger's figure the under surface of the secondaries is represented as unspotted; this is the case with the single example taken on the 4th January ; all the others have a series of grey spots across the disk ; the tint of these wings below varies from sulphur- to butter-yellow. From Mr. Crawshay's note it appears that this was taken in company with P. astarte on tbe same red-flowered bush on the river's bank whilst he waited for his men to find a crossing to the other side. 53. PINACOPTERYX GERDA Grose-Smith & Kirby. Intermediate phase.- 2 (shattered), Muthambi River, 4500 feet, Ndya, 10th January ; c? (perfect), Tana River, 16th January, 1899. Dry phase.- 6 (shattered), Muthambi River, 6th January ; 2 (perfect), 11th January, 1899. Of the first female Mr. Crawshay writes-" Oblong ova, of a greenish-yellow colour " ; of the second one-" A perfect specimen at last! The first I saw of this species was on the wet mud of the Tana River, where-when waiting for m y net-it was devoured by a dragonfly ; the second and third which I took are both rags. Greenish-white spike-shaped eggs." Professor Aurivillius questions the distinctness of this species from P. simana, and suggests that the latter may be a seasonal 1 PINACOPTERYX VIDUA, sp. n. (Plate LXX. figs. 8, 9.) Allied to P. orbona, which it represents in Eastern and Northern Africa : it has well-defined seasonal phases, the wet phase being most like P. orbona ; the male, however, has a narrower marginal border to the primaries ; the apex of these wings and the secondaries creamy on the under surface, instead of white: the female shows far less grey basal shading, not filling the discoidal cell; the discal spots are wanting from the secondaries, and the orange from the under surface of the primaries (which is characteristic of P. larima, the female of P. orbona in my opinion, not of Belenois thysa). Expanse of wings, 6 45- 46 millim., 2 46-50 millim. 6 6, White Nile, Foda (Emin), and British East Africa (Greyory); 2 $, Wasin, and British East Africa (Greyory). Formerly I referred this species to P. ortyyna (cf. P. Z. S. 1888, p. 76), see Aurivillius, Bhop. cEthiop. p. 411. It is certainly not P. gerda, which is more nearly related to P. simana. |