338 NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXIV. 1917. 



for we have collected in many of the localities syracusiae inhabits, but we never 

 liad the hick to find it. 



Mr. Oberthiu- is convinced that this form and the last are quite distinct from 

 trijolii, in which I agree ^\ith him. I also agree that Spanish australis and syra- 

 cusiae are very different ; but I cannot see any difiercnce between my few Khen- 

 cliela specimens and the Batna-Lambessa ones. I have too few from Khenchela to 

 assert positively that they are the same — perhaps the facts are that both australis 

 and syracusiae occur at Khenchela ; but I can say this, that I have never seen a 

 single Algerian specimen with such pointed forewings nor with the "ground- 

 colour " so green as my Central Spanish specimens. As I have no specimens from 

 Hammam R'ihra, my three Khenchela specimens are the only Mauretanian speci- 

 mens I have, with a definite locality, which belong to syracusiae, according to Mr. 

 Oberthiir's locaUties, but I can only repeat they agree exactly with those I have 

 from Batna, Lambessa, and Ljebel ChcUa, of which the ground-colour is some- 

 times green and sometimes more blue. I therefore can only suppose that either 

 all mine are australis or else that name cannot be applied to any form from south 

 of the Mediterranean. This latter is decidedly my view of the case and the one 



I adopt here. Six specimens from Batna are veritable dwarfs (length of forewing 



II mm., expanse 25 mm. ; while the largest specimen from Batna has length 

 of forewing 17 mm., expanse 39 mm.). 



112 Batna, May — October 1910-1915, Nelva and Faroult. 

 6 Lambessa, June 1 885, L. Bleuse. 

 3 Klienchela, June 1911, Faroult. 

 6 Djebel Cheha, June 1911, Faroult. 



9 Hussein Dey (Environs d'Alger), May— October 1908-1910, Captain Holl. 

 2 Mauretania, Staudinger. 

 6 Environs de Tunis, April — June 1916, E. Blanc. 



The latter five specimens are rather different from the rest, being decidedly 

 much bluer, and the five red spots on the forewing are much smaller. 

 The British Museum does not possess this insect, from Mauretania. 



29. Zygaena algira algira Dup. 



Zygaena algira Duponchel in Godart's Pap. France, vol. iii. Suppl. ii. p. 86. No. xxxiii. (1835) (Alger). 



Mr. Oberthiir has renamed the insect figured by Herrich-Schaefferas algira, 

 and which is also the insect described by Duponchel as algira, as hachaga in his 

 Etudes Gomparees. This he has done solely because Duponchel's figure does 

 not agree with his description, and Mr. Oberthur only acknowledges figures. The 

 insect on Plate VII. fig. 6 is that of a Zygaena with white collar and whitish patagia 

 combined with a red streak on the inner margin of the forewings, while the dark 

 markings do not agree with those of algira in shape or number. It is quite 

 possible that this figure represents a chance liybrid between felix Oberth. and 

 algira Dup. ; but whatever it may be it does not concern the question of tlie name 

 algira, for notwithstanding the efforts of Mr. Oberthiir and his friends, the 

 largest number of entomologists of the world will always continue to abide by the 

 International Rules of Zoological Nomenclature, and these state that in the case 

 of a description and figure purporting to be both of the same insect but in reality 



