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JOURNAL OF VARIATION. 



No. 7. Vol. V. 



July 15th, 1894. 



EI^EBIJI EPIPjJl^Orl JiplD nfg r(yl]VIEB Vyil^IE'l'lEg. 



4 Study in Synonymy. 

 By FRAS. J. BUCKELL, M.B. 



llie tiipe. — The butterfly which Knoch described and figured in 

 1783 (Beitriige z. Inseliieiujeschichte, Stuck iii., p. 131, pi. 6, fig, 7) under 

 tlie name of Papilio epiphron, was met with by him in abundance near 

 the Brocken, in the Harz Mountains. From his description and figure 

 we learn that it possessed the following characteristics : — Wings rounded, 

 not pointed at the apex, their upper surface of a dark brown colour ; 

 there is an orange band near the hind margin of the fore-wings 

 somewhat narrower towards the inner margin, but not reaching either 

 this margin or the costa ; this band is divided by the nervures into six 

 compartments, and in from two to four of these are black sjjots, which 

 sometimes have white pupils but more often have not. Near the hind 

 margin of the hind-wings are three good-sized, more or less circular-, 

 orange blotches, in each of which is a black spot which, like those on 

 the fore- wings, is sometimes white-pupilled but more frequently blind ; 

 tliese three blotches touch one another and so produce a certain band- 

 like appearance ; at either end of the three is a faint orange blotch, 

 smalle;.- and without a black centre. The under surface is not re23re- 

 sented in the figure and the description of it is very meagre. It may 

 be inferred, however, that it is very similar (in both wings) to the 

 upper surface, save that the ocelli or spots are often more numerous ; 

 Knoch says that he has taken specimens with six ocelli. It is evident 

 that he was not basing his description on a limited number of specimens, 

 as was sometimes the case with the earlier authors, for he says that 

 " variations are found in this PapUio in large numbers if the eye-points 

 and spots are taken into consideration." 



Fabricius notices the species under the same name in 1787 (Mantissa 

 Ins., vol. ii., p. 40, No. 411), having seen specimens in Boeber's cabinet ; 

 these evidently all had the ocelli white-pupilled. 



Borkhausen, who seems to have been very fond of re-naming species, 

 describes it in 1788 (Natnrgcschichte der Europ. Schmett., Th. i., p. 77, 

 No. 16b) under the name of Pap. eyea. He adds nothing to our 

 knowledge of its characters, and one is inclined to think that he was 

 describing not from nature but from Knoch. Next year (I.e., Th. ii., 

 p. 202,) he says that the specimens with white pupils are females, and 



