1^6 Mr. BuTLEU*s descriptions of Jhiths. 



spot D-shaped, surrounded behind by a semicircle of white dots ; 

 a hinulated angular black line beyond the middle, its outer edge 

 margined with white in the male; beyond this line the groimd- 

 colour becomes paler, with the exception of a central sinuous 

 discal band, bounded externally by a very irregular black line, 

 the costal extremity of which is white-edged internally ; external 

 border dark; a sub-marginal series of white-edged black dots; 

 fringe traversed by a dark stripe; secondaries paler, bronzy- 

 brown; similarly marked to S. achatina] Avings below as in 

 >S. fumosa, of Japan, but the blackish line beyond the cell much 

 more slender and strongly angulated. Expanse of wings 

 48-50 mm. 



S, 9 Nikko, June, 1880; ? Chiuzenji, 21st August, 1881 

 (G. Lewis). 



A much shattered female from Nikko Avas also sent home by 

 Pryer, who mistook it for a Mania, in spite of its resemblance 

 to Sypna fuUginosa and S. fumosa; yet he Avishes me to believe 

 that the two latter are varieties of S. picta and S. achatina; that 

 the same species should have four different types represented in 

 both sexes, and far more nearly resembling Indian species than 

 one another, that these four forms should also be produced 

 simultaneously in about equal numbers (as some of the collec- 

 tions which I haA^e examined shoAv that they must haA'e been) 

 is to me one of the most extraordinary guesses ever made by 

 a collector ; in the Museum Ave do not retain long series of a 

 species unless it is either variable or has a Avide range, but 

 nevertheless Ave have two pairs of S. fuUginosa ; five S. fumosa 

 (two $, three 9); eight S. picta {Hve ^ , three 9); fi'^'e S. 

 achatina (two $ , three 9)i these numbers, hoAvever, represent 

 only a tithe of the specimens Avhich I have examined, and Avhich 

 I suppose Avould amount to something like 500 in all ; yet iu no 

 single instance have I met Avith an intergrade between the four 

 Japanese types; that S. fumosa may be a variety of S. fuUginosa 

 I can believe, but that S'. picta, and S. ach itina have anything 

 to do with them, I consider quite out of the question and all of 

 a piece Avith the suggestion that the most distinct representative 

 types of Tcrias, such as 7'. hrenda, sari, sinensis and nunulai-ina, 

 are varieties of T. hecuhe, a notion Avhich, were it a fact, Avould 

 necessitate our regarding the entire genus as represented by 

 about tAvo species, one from the Old and New Worlds and 

 the other from the New World oidy ; indeed I am doubtful 

 A\hethcr these could be maintained for many years even if the 

 genus itself should remain. 



