LIST OF THE LEPIDOPTERA FROM ALDABRA, SEYCHEL- 

 LES, AND OTHER EAST AFRICAN ISLANDS, COLLECTED 

 BY DR. W. L. ABBOTT. 



By W. J. Holland, Ph. D. 



The small collection of lepidoptera made by Dr. Abbott in the islands 

 lying' west and north of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean contains but 

 little that is apparently new to science, but possesses interest as illus- 

 trating- the geograj)hical distribution of genera and species. Thus far 

 almost nothing has been written u])()n the lepidopterous fauna of the 

 Seychelles, and, in fact, with the exception of the Hora, the natural 

 treasures of these islands have been apparently almost overlooked by 

 students. ^Yhile a constant trade relationship with them has been 

 maintained for more than a century by Europeans, they have been 

 but infrequently visited by naturalists, and those who have made col- 

 lections there, have apparently done but very little more than to collect 

 the counuoner and most conspicuous si^ecies. I can discover only half 

 a dozen references to the insects of the Seychelles in the whole compass 

 ofeiitomological literature. In Kirby's "■ Catalogue.of Diurnal Lei)idop- 

 tera" only one species is credited to these islands, nnd that with doubt. 

 The following list will serve to show that the fauna possesses uffini- 

 ties at once with that of Africa and of Asia, and tliat many of the 

 species are almost cosmopolitan in their range. HyjwIinDui^! misippHS 

 and llattia octo are common both to the Old World and the New. Some 

 of tlie species range into Europe. This character of the fauna suggests 

 its adveutitioujs nature, and I suspect that it will be found to possess 

 in this respect a strong likeness to other insular faunas. It is made 

 u]) of certain genera possessing great capabilities for ndgration, and 

 apparently a strong i)ower to resist change under varying conditions. 



Suborder RHOFALOCERA. 

 SiaTr>tairiily 1Dj^NJ^I1SI^S£,, Bates. 



Genus DANAIS, Latreille. 



DANAIS CHRYSIPPUS (Linnaeus). 



PapUio chrysipims, Lixx.eus, Mus. Uh-., j). 263. — C'i.erck, Icones, pi. 57, fig. 2. 



The collection contains eight specimens of the ty])ical form from 

 Aldabra. 



Proceedings of the United Statct* jSTationiil Museum, Vol. XVIII — Xo. 10G4. 



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