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Show 1902.] BUTTERFLIES OP THE FAMILY LYOENITLE. 139 from some of the Pacific Islands, such as New Britain and the Solomon group. The dominant section of the group is the genus Arhopala, which alone contains over two hundred species and varieties. Until the year 1890 these had generally been described under the genus Amblypodia, in spite of the fact that they are structurally quite distinct, and that Boisduval had created the genus Arhopala, and had been followed in its use by the brothers Felder in their important work in the ' Novara-Reise.' Boisduval, however, omitted to diagnose his genus ; and it has only been since de Niceville's third volume of the ' Butterflies of India' was published that the name has been generally used, but now most students of the Lyca?nida? adopt it. Mr. Moore has attempted to split it up into six different genera, viz., Narathura, Nilasera, Panchcda, Satadra, Darasana, arid Acesina; but none of the characters he gives are constant, and though the markings of Acesina are peculiar, yet the whole pattern follows precisely that obtaining in Arhopcda, and structurally they are identical; so that under these circumstances I see no object in retaining that genus as distinct. The other genera also I a m obliged to disregard, none of them having so good a locus standi as Acesina. The genus Arhopala forms one large homogeneous whole, and, with the exception of one or two extreme forms, the merest tyro would at once recognize them. I cannot therefore see what object is gained by endeavouring to split them up into several genera merely because of the large size of the genus. I retain Mr. Moore's genus Mahathala, which is very well marked ; but, with all respect to that veteran observer, I cannot see m y way to accepting the other six. I divide the whole group into six genera, viz., Amblypodia Horsf., Traota Moore, Surendra Moore, Thaduka Moore, Mahathala Moore, and Arhopala Boisduval. These Butterflies are very sluggish in their habits, seldom flying unless disturbed, and then only for a short distance, settling again as soon as possible on the underside of the leaves, with which they assimilate well. They prefer the thick forests, and but little is known of their life-histories, though some of the eggs have been described by Doherty and one or two other observers. Distant remarked on the shade of blue varying considerably " inter se " at times ; and this I have found to be the case, though I a m unable to offer any real explanation. I believe it will be found to be owing to some chemical change, for it happens with apparently quite fresh specimens. The colours of the whole group are aniline : in the majority of the species they could not be made up, I believe, from the colours of the spectrum, and it is therefore possible that they may be more liable to change than otherwise. In a dominant genus such as this is, we might look for certain forms to be highly specialized in some way or other; and we find that this is so, for we have a small number of species of that brilliant metallic lustrous green colour that is so prominent a feature in the Chinese and Japanese sections of the Theclin<e. |