218 [December 



2. Ceratinia Lycaste, Fabr. sp. 



Pap. Lycaste, Fabr., Ent. Syst. III. i. p. 161, n. 497. (1775.) 



Jones, Icon. II. t. 7, f. 1. (ined.) 

 Ed. Lye, Godart, Enc. M. IX. p. 221, n. 5-t. (1819.) 

 Hel. f Lye, Diurnal Lepidopt. I. p. 104, n. 60. (1847.) 

 Melinaea? Lye, Cat. Brit. Mus. VIII. p. 56. (1844.) 

 Ceratinia Iphianassa, Cat. Brit. Mus. VIII. p. 149. (1844.) 

 Ithomia {Ceratinia) Iph., Diurnal Lepidopt. I. p. 127, n. 71, 1. 18, f. 3. (1847.) 

 lih. Iph., Hewitson, Ithomia, f. 91, 92, 93. (1855.) 



Ith. Iph., y&r. panamensis Bates, Proc. Zool. Soc. p. 245, t. 29, f. 5. (1863.) 

 Ith. Phanessa, Herrich-ScbsefFer, Hewitson, Ithomia, f. 93. (1864.) 

 Ith. Anaphissa, " " " f. 91. (1864.) 



This is one of those protean species which overturn all the precon- 

 ceived ideas of Entomologists regarding specific stability of form. 



In the early part of this year, amongst other Lepiduptera, I received 

 two examples of this species from Los Angelos, California, where they 

 had been taken by my friend. Mr. John C. Love, formerly of this city. 

 One of these I at once determined from Godart's meagre diagnosis, to 

 be Fabricius' Lycaste. The other approximated so closely to a variety 

 of Iphianassa., then not long described and figured by Mr. Bates, and 

 yet was so nearly assimilated to the typical Lycaste as to cause me 

 much uncertainty in regard to the identity of both. In this strait I 

 forwarded their descriptions to Mr. H. "W. Bates, and soon after re- 

 ceived an answer, from which I extract the following : — " Your Heli- 

 conia from Los Angelos is no doubt Jthomia JpJiianassa, local var. 

 Panamensis m'lhi . . . since naming the insect, I had myself found it to 

 agree with Godart's Lycaste ... I suppose the name Iphianassa must 

 now give way to that of Lycaste . . . its occurrence so far north as Los 

 Angelos is a new and most unexpected fact." 



A careful examination of a series of eight successive and progressive 

 forms, five of which I have in my own cabinet, finally determined me 

 to concentrate these varieties under one specific head, treating the aber- 

 rations as local, imperfectly segregated races. 



One peculiarity will be observed in this variation, and which has 

 never fallen under my notice as occurring in any other species, that, 

 with but few exceptions, the wings appear suff'used with black in pro- 

 portion to their recedence from the Equatorial line. 



This will be readily perceived from the following diagnosis of each 

 form, which I have thought it desirable to append, both as illustrating 

 the formation of species, and for the better determination of other vari- 

 eties, which the future will undoubtedly disclose to us. 



