illMtCRV. 131 



to produce a disguise that is so complete and marvellous as to astonish 

 everyone who observes it ; and the habits of the insects are such as to 

 utilise all these peculiarities, and render them available in such a 

 manner as to remove all doubt of the purpose of this singular case of 

 mimicry, which is undoubtedly a protection to the insect. Its strong 

 and swift flight is sufhcient to save it from its enemies when on the 

 wing, but if it were equally conspicuous when at rest, it could not 

 long escape extinction, owing to the attacks of the insectivorous birds 

 and reptiles that abound in the tropical forests. A very closely allied 

 species, Kallima inac/iis, inhabits India, where it is very common, and 

 specimens are sent in every collection from the Himalayas. On 

 examining a number of these, it Avill be seen that no two are alike, but 

 all the variations correspond to those of dead leaves. Every tint of 

 yellow, ash, brown and red is found here, and, in many specimens, 

 there occur patches and spots formed of small black dots, so closely 

 resembling the way in which minute fungi grow on leaves, that it is 

 almost impossible at first not to believe that fungi have grown on the 

 butterflies themselves " {Malay Archipelaijo, p. 203). 



Varieties of Melanippe fluctuata. 



By LOUIS B. PROUT, F.E.S. 

 (Continued from p. 108 A 



After a good deal of planning and arranging of my material, I have 

 come to the conclusion that I can best make this paper serviceable to 

 entomologists of diftering opinion, with regard to the question of 

 varietal nomenclature, by adopting a system of broad division and 

 minuter sub-division. I shall, therefore, first give Avhat appear to be 

 the correct names for Guenee's aberrations, for use by those who aim 

 only at a rough approximation ; and shall then sub-divide these into 

 all the forms which are in any way worth distinguishing, after the 

 more thorough manner employed by Mr. Tutt in his British Xdctuac 

 and tlieir Varieties. 



The type has already been defined, and will include, in Guenee's 

 sense, all specimens in which the central fascia is neither reduced nor 

 extended, nor the ground-colour conspicuously darkened. 



Ab. incanata, Renter {Acta Soc. F.F.F.,ix., No. 6, p. 72). — This is 

 the oldest available name that I can find for Guenee's car. a — dark 

 central fascia extended right across the wing. I believe these forma do 

 not at all tend to become local races, except in the case of the var. 

 aeutanijulata. 



Var. neapolisata, Mill. (Icon., iii., p. 267, pi. 130, fig. 7). — This is 

 one of our best known, and most generally used, varietal names, and 

 though I have called it " var.," yet it also appears as an occasional 

 aberration in many localities. It certainly represents roughly Guenee's 

 var. B, though he may probably have known no very extreme forms ; 

 it may be used comprehensively for all forms with darkened ground- 

 colour. It forms a local race in Naples and Sicily, and, in a measure, 

 in Yorkshire and Scotland. With regard to this variety, I may also 

 remark that in Naples, at any rate, it must be at least a fixed local race, 

 even if it do not ultimately prove to be a distinct species ; for Millierc 

 states that the male antennaj are more strongly pectinated than in the 



