f 37 ) 



is very ragged ami irregular, tliroe-qnartors of an inch wide and rosy innnve in 

 colour. 



Himlwings similar, Imt tlie submarginal line is double, very zigzag, and jagged. 

 Body smoky purple, with a white baud at the base of the abdomen. 



Underside similar in colour and marking to the upperside. 



Expanse : 8 inches =: 204 mm. 



Hab. North West Java, (c?, in Coll. Staudinger.) 



PHILOSAMIA. 



In this genus matters are doubly complicated, for not only is there a large 

 synonymy, bat Mr. Hampson in trying to set matters right has assigned most of 

 the synonyms and aberrational names to the wrong species. Also he is an ento- 

 mologist who up to now has not allowed subspecies and aberrations to bear names, 

 which has the grave result, that if the names applied to any such subspecies or 

 aberrations are simply recorded as synonyms, everybody who gets one of these 

 aberrant specimens re-describes it as a new species, while if it is recorded as sub- 

 species (a) or aberration (y8), it at once forces the would-be describer to look it up. 

 P. gueriiii (Moore) is only an aberration of P. lunula (Walk.) ; P. obscura (Butl.) 

 is also only an aberration of P. lunula (Walk.) ; while P. lunula (Walk.) is an 

 older name than P. ricini (Hutt.), and therefore must stand for the species. P. iole 

 (Westw.) is simply a monstrosity of P. loalkeri (Feld.), and Mr. Hampson most 

 unreasonably unites it to P. ricini, which, as stated above, is a synonym of P. lunula 

 (Walk.). I have two specimens of P. iole (Westw.) which I bred myself from 

 eggs laid in the Zoological Gardens by a typical male of P. ivalkeri (Feld.), which 

 is P. cynihia (auct.) {nee Drury). P. pryeri (Butl.) is a good local race, and must 

 stand as a subspecies, while P. cynthia (Drury) is an insular and southern form 

 which is quite constant and must rank as a species. 



The Asiatic species of Philosamia, therefore, work out as follows : — 



1. Philosamia cynthia (Drury). 



2. Ph. lunula (Walk.). 



ab. obscura (Butl.). 

 ab. guerini (Moore). 



3. Ph. ivalkeri (Feld.) = cynthia auct. {nee Drury). 



ab. iole (Westw.). 

 subsp. pryeri (Bntl.). 

 The African species included by Kirby in Philosamia I now separate into the 

 genus Drepanoptera. 



DREPANOPTERA gen. nov. 



Differs from Philosamia by the males having the forewings much more falcate, 

 elongated, and narrower, and the/eimles having all four wings much rounder and 

 blunter. This new genus differs also from Philosamia in having the sexes unlike 

 each other, while in the latter they are identical. 



The genus stands as follows : — 



1. Drepanoptera albidd (T)ruce). 



2. D. antinorii (Oberth.). 



3. D. vacuna (Westw.). 



ab. ploetzi (Pliitz). 



ab. yetulu (Blaass. it Weym.). 



