528 MR. H. W. BATES ON THE LEPIDOPTERA 



Var. 3. Pale orange-taAvny ; apical part of the fore wing dusky, with a large irregular 

 fulvous s])ot in the centre. 

 Ega. 



Var. i. Dark orange-tawny ; apical part of the fore wing black, with a series of short 

 narrow isabella-coloured stripes accompanying the neinoires ; hind wing having a 

 scries of l)lackisli stri])es extending from the central macular vitta to the marginal 

 lunulcs. 



Ega and 8t. Paulo. At St. Paulo this was the prevailing form of the species. These 

 dark varieties certainly do not inhabit the region of the Lower Amazons. 



Genus Meciiaxitis (Eab.), Doubleday. 

 Doubkl. & Ilewit.s. Gen. Diurn. Lepid. p. 1.30. 



After a careful examination of nearly all the species, I tind that two widely distinct 

 generic types were comprised by Douldeday under Mec/iauitis. One of these (which 

 comjn'ehends his section 1, including, however, J/. Foli/mnki, placed in his section 2) is 

 closely allied to Ccj-nf/i/ic, tSius, Napeoaciies, and Itltomia, agreeing with them in the 

 shape and ])osition of the palpi aiul the rudimentary condition of the fore legs of the S ; 

 the other (in which the fore tibitc and tarsi of the cf are nearly of the same shape as in 

 Dai/((ls, Ixung only a little shortened, more or less, according to the species, and the 

 tcnninal joint of the jjalpi does not project in front of the forehead) approaches Olyras, 

 Tilliorc(u and Eutrcsis. This iiroup (Doubleday's sect. 2, in part) I shall name Ilcliiuca ; 

 the other (sect. 1) will retain the name oi Ilecluinltis. We have here an illustration on 

 a smaller scale of the same deceptive analogy which has led to the junction of the 

 l[eliconin;e with th(> Ilelicojiia-Wkc Danainas. There is, in truth, a very wide difference 

 in structure Ix^tween Ilecluniifis and Ileluuvc ; but the great similarity in dress of the 

 respective species, in greats i)art ]iair by pair, has led to their being grouped in one genus. 

 The distinguishing characters of ILccliaiiitis are the following : — 



Head small; \r,\\\n thinly clothed with scales, terminal joint pointed, projecting. 

 Antenna' nu)derately Ioiil;, thickened into a distinct club at tlu' apex. Ilind-wing lower 

 discocellular nearly in a line with the median, rather short; middle discocellular at 

 right angles with the lower, angulated, and emitting a recurrent nervule in tlu' middle 

 in both sexes; upper discocellular in the S inclined towards the base, joining the sub- 

 costal not far from the middle of its course, in the ? very short or entirely wanting, 

 in tlie latter case tlu' upper radial l)t'ing as a braiu-h of the subcostal beyond the cell. 

 Costal ne)-vur<' ainali;aiuated with the subcostal for neaidy half the length of the wing in 

 the '?. Eor(> legs of the r? with the femur siiort, tibiie and tarsi reduced to a small 

 knol); in the ? sIcmhUt, the tarsi iiliform, the s])ines minute. 



The genus, as tlius deiined, conijtrises two g)'ou])s of species of very dilferent general 

 ap))earanc(% — one containing .)/. Pohjiiui'ia and its allies, distinguished by their large size, 

 opake viings, and vai'ied coloration — the other including M. PhijUodocc of lliibner, and 

 several nearly related species, remarkable for their much smaller size and pale, semi- 



