RHOPALOCERA MALAYAN A. 157 



From Continental India it is distributed through the Malay Peninsula and onwards through 

 the Malayan Archipelago to Papua, extending as far north as China. Though found in the 

 Andaman Islands it is apparently absent from Ceylon. 



The larva and pupa of .(. periits, as found in Java, have 

 been figured by Horsfield," which show that though Neptis and 

 Athiima are closely allied in their perfect condition, they are yet 

 considerably divergent in larval characters, thus again exempli- FrL'^ti^sS^' oa''rT [''[^^^^^^^^ 

 fying the artificiality of the present system of classification. 



We know scarcely anything of the life-histories of the species comprising this genus, 

 though several points require elucidation to settle some speculative opinion. Thus the genus 

 is supposed to be of a protected nature, owing to the fact of it being apparently " mimicked" 

 by species of other genera. A most notable instance of this is afforded by the Aputura chcvaiia, 

 Moore, a Darjeeling species, which, though possessing the beautiful coloration of that genus 

 beneath, is marked above like a species of Athipna. This, however, on examination, appears to 

 be a case of " spurious mimicry,"! as the insect when at rest, with its wings folded (and we 

 are not told it is aberrant in this respect), would exhibit the Apaturan distinctiveness, and thus 

 be aftorded no protection by the Athymud simulation of their upper surface ; and even as regards 

 this, Mr. Moore adds to his description, I " Mr. W. S. Atkinson has informed me that in 

 fresh-captured specimens the upper side has also the beautiful reflected purple gloss visible 

 in that insect." 



Such facts tend to confirm the bias of my opinion, expressed before {ante, p. 33), that 

 casual resemblance, without supporting facts, does not conform to the theory of " mimicry," as 

 originally, and philosophically, formulated. Prof. W. T. Thiselton Dyer has recently, and 

 opportunely, observed that "the biological sciences not having reached the deductive stage, 

 it is not possible to enlarge our knowledge of them by mere ratiocination." § 



A. Lower disco- cellular nerrtile of anterior winr/s obsolete or suhobsolete, leaviiKj the cell apparcidly open. 

 a. Sexes alike or similar in colour and niarkinns. 



1. Athyma perius. (Tab. XVI., fig. 2 <? .) 



Fapilio Ferius, Liuuffius, Syst. Nat. ed. x. p. 471, u. 70 (1758); ibid. ed. xii. p. 7GG, u. 116 (1767); Houtt. 



Naturl. Hist. i. 11, p. 268, n. 79 (17671 ; Miill. Naturs. v. 1, p. 596, n. 110 (1774); Gmel. Syst. Nat. 



i. 5, p. 2278, u. 116 (1790). 

 Paiiiliu Leucothoe, Liuu. Syst. Nat. ed. x. p. 478, n. 122 (1758) ; Mns.Lud. Ulr. p. 292, n. 110(1764) ; Syst. Nat. 



ed. xii. p. 780, n. 170 |1767) ; Clerck, Icoiies lus. iii. (iuedit.), t. 5, f. 4 (1764); Houtt. Naturl. Hist. 



i. 11. p. 330, u. 122 (1767); Miill. Naturs. v. 1, p. 612, u. 179 (1774); Fabr. Syst. Ent. p. 508, 



11. 272 (1775); Maut. Iiis. ii. p. 52, u. 511 (1787i; Eiit. Syst. iii. 1, p. 129, u. 395 (17931; Gmel. 



* Cat. Lep. E.I.C. t. viii. i. 3, 'da (under the uame of Bihlis Iciicothoe). 



+ Karl Semper, iu the twelfth chapter of his ' Natural Couditions of Existence as they affect Animal Life,' has keenly 

 discussed this point, ivith the thoroush knowledge of a '• special " and '• travelled "' naturalist. With a perfect acknowledgment 

 of "mimicry," he has not followed a somewhat "easy" course of referring all resemblance to that explanation. 



; Proc. Zool. Soc. 18G5, p. 704. j ■ Natm-e." vol. xs^iii. p. 171. 



June 30, 1883. 2 s 



