SOME NOTES RESPECTING TYPES 



The possession of the types of the Fruhstorfer Collection and the series of specimens from which 

 the original description were made is of the greatest importance to all students of butterflies in the 

 future. 



Mr. I'ruhstorfer has described such a large number of forms from little-known places of which 

 the fauna is very poorly represented in most collections in Europe, that it is a very considerable 

 asset to have this types available for study by independent students. 



A very great number of specimens labelled "type" are not entered in the type Catalogue, 

 because they bear no name label. 



(( They represent probably for the most part doubtfully distinct forms, in some cases more than 

 one (j^ and one ^ are labelled "type". The selection of a holotype and an allotype is left to 

 some future student. In many other cases one sex only is labelled "type ' when the other sex is also 

 present. 



It is uncertain whether this sex was undescribed or whether the type label was omitted. Refer- 

 ence must be made to the original description. 



In the list of types we have given the indication where one specimen of one or both sexes only 

 exists. Whether the name was founded on more specimens which have since been dispersed can only 

 be ascertained by reference to the original description. 



Where no mention is made by the author of his original series, we understand that it may 

 be assumed that he had before him only those specimens now contained in the collection. 



A few types described by Rober are also contained in the collection. 



Georges TALBOT. 



Copy of a letter from Mr. Fruhstorfer to the 



Director of the Hill Museum, Witley Surrey 



Lugano. 18, XII, 19. 



M What concerns my types, there is an irregularity in fixing those. The first years, shall we say 

 up to 1899, I considered as types all the specimens before me and I fixed a label "type" sometimes 

 under a dozen of specimens, and sold also some of them. Later on, I learned to understand that there 

 was only one type or two, if I had ^f and 9 before me and I attached the type label only to 

 one, or if I had a couple to two specimens. The case with DELIAS battana is very peculiar. 



The specimen figured was than treated by me a? type. The specimen is the one now in my 

 collection. Of the ^ 9 there are two forms — a white and a yellow one. 1 did not attach a label to 

 them, but 1 never sold a true type out of the collection of Indo Australians. The specimens in the 

 Paris Museum are not types as I treated them since 1900. Of course the number of species and races 

 described before 1900 is very limited. Most of my descriptions appeared after 1905 as soon as 1 began 

 to retire from business. 



But as a rule you have not to fear confusion. Everything inside my collection has to oe 

 treated as a real type, everything outside as a cotype. So for i. the types of Delias from Lombock 

 are only in my collection, n 



signed : H. FRUHSTORFER. 



