260 [April, 



fore- wing between the coeta and the costal nervure is distinctly white. Head, palpi 

 and thorax orange-yellow ; legs brownish. Abdomen black, ringed with white, and 

 a large buff coloured anal tuft. Expanse of wings, 2? inches. 



Hab. : West Africa, Cameroon Mountains. Mus. Druce. 



This fine species boars a close resemblance to Aletis helcita, L. 

 (which occui*s at the same place), it appears to be very rare, as amongst 

 the enormous number of butterflies received from the Cameroons it 

 does not seem to have been noticed before. 



London : March, 1888. 



NEPTICVLA SERELLA, N. SP. 

 BY H. T. 8TAINT0N, F.E.S. 



Sero nunquam est ad ho7ios mores via is a sentence which one 

 learnt many, many years ago ; perhaps, if " the way to good man- 

 ners is never too late," it may be never too late to describe a new 

 species, however long one may have had a specimen. 



The subject of the present notice was found in the larva state as 

 far back as 1S59, and the imago appeared in 1860, but till quite 

 recently I had only seen that single specimen. 



Now, through the kindness of Mr. I. H. Threlfall and Mr. P. B. 

 Mason, I have had three other specimens simultaneously before me, 

 and no longer hesitate to give my aged specimen a name. 



All these three specimens were bred by Mr. Threlfall from larva) 

 found in Potentilla torrnentiUa, on the moors of Westmoreland (see 

 ante, p. ISt?). 



Exp. al., 2 lines. 



Head dull dark ferruginous, with a still darker central spot. 

 Anterior-wings with the basal portion of a uniform glossy golden-brown, beyond 

 the middle is a nearly straight, moderately broad, pale golden fascia, apical portion 

 of the wing very dark purple, almost black, with the cilia (which have no dividing 

 line) slightly paler. 



My original specimen was bred from a larva found on Birnam 

 Hill, near Dunkeld, September 11th, 1859 ; the imago appeared in 

 July, 1860. 



The continental N. tormeniilleUa, of which I liave several bred specimens, has 

 narrower anterior-wings, with the basal portion bronzy-green, and a purple band 

 before t)ie metallic fascia, wliicli is rather silvery than pale golden, the apical portion 

 of the wing purple, but not nearh' so dark as in N. serella ; licad black. 



Mountsfield, Lewishara : 



March 20th, 1888. 



