50 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



species in some of its forms exhibits yellow instead of white 

 spots to outer margin of hind wing. The large black area of 

 hind wing is the special characteristic of the species. 



Fore wing black and tawny, with a heavy yellow band which is 

 very variable in its lower half from beyond cell to outer margin. 

 Apical area black, containing two or three yellow blotches, the upper- 

 most one of which is much the largest. A broad black edging on 

 inner side of transverse band and a heavy black inner marginal band 

 from base to tornus. Inner area of wing fulvous, more yellowish 

 towards its outer confines. Hind wing with the costal half fulvous, 

 a black dash running in towards base from outer margin along vein 7 ; 

 above this, midway, is a large conspicuous fulvous blotch, well defined 

 by black margins. Lower half of wing heavily black, but variable in 

 extent towards and beyond the cell. Sometimes black irroration 

 extends right across the wing, but more frequently the black area stops 

 abruptly on reaching the lower corner of the cell. A row of large and 

 conspicuous white marginal spots, those beyond the black area becom- 

 ing obliterated, or only showing indistinctly as yellowish marks. 

 Expanse 106 mm. 



Hab. The Guianas (English, Dutch, and French). Lower 

 Amazon. 



The species varies considerably. From the very few indi- 

 viduals available for examination, it appears that the form in 

 French Guiana (Cayenne) has a darker hind wing than those from 

 British Guiana (Berbice), and these in turn are darker than those 

 from Paraguay (?), if the latter should prove to be the same 

 species, as is possible. In fact it may be that the vast majority 

 of the described species of Protogonius are all one species, with 

 different geographical forms, but all overlapping somewhere or 

 other. Starting with the extremest black hind-winged form 

 from Cayenne, one works through to a lighter form in British 

 Guiana. In Venezuela there is a less black form still, and the 

 band of the fore wing has become broken. Going northward, 

 this reduction of the yellow area becomes more and more marked, 

 until in T. cecrops some specimens have a very slender band. In 

 Trinidad, where insularity has worked to bring about greater 

 change, and where there is no fusion of any other race, the form 

 has assumed quite a distinct facies in T. ochraceus. North- 

 westwards, in Columbia, in T. tithoreides there is an admixture 

 of the Northern and Southern races : Northern, in retaining 

 the large distinct marginal spots to fore wing ; Southern, in 

 showing a reduction in the size of the marginal spots to the 

 hind wing. In Columbia there is a subform of tithoreides called 

 albinotatus, in which all the spots and band of the fore wing have 

 become white. Going from (Juiana westward, one finds a similar 

 form to the British Guiana race in the Lower Amazon. Higher 

 up the same system, on the Eio Madeira, there is a chestnut- 

 coloured form which shows an influence of northern form, but of 



