THE ENTOMOLOGIST 



Vol. XXXII.] APRIL, 18 99. [No. 431. 



THE GENUS CIGARITIS AND ITS APPLICATION. 

 By A. G. Butler, Ph.D. 



■ The name Cigaritis, as M. Donzel noted in 1847, was origi- 

 nally proposed by Boisduval for certain undescribed African 

 Lycsenidse, but, until M. Donzel's description of C. zohra was 

 published, it remained a mere manuscript name ; nor did M. 

 Donzel give any characters to the genus, or indicate in any way 

 which of the African species was supposed to be the type of the 

 undescribed genus. 



In 1849 M. Lucas described two species, C. masinissa and 

 C. siphax, figuring the latter as " Zerythis syphax" (sic); but 

 still giving no characters for the genus. 



In 1850 M. Lucas described Cigaritis, and gave a figure of 

 C. masinissa. The genus having now received characters for 

 the first time, and C. masinissa being the only species noted, 

 this, as Dr. Staudinger most reasonably decides, becomes the 

 type. 



In his ' History of the Genera of Butterflies,' Dr. Scudder 

 seems utterly to ignore the importance of a description for a 

 genus, and actually credits Boisduval with the authorship of 

 Cigaritis, and Donzel with the authorship of its type, which he 

 declares judicially to be C. zohra ; whereas there is nothing 

 whatever to show that the Cigaritis of Boisduval manuscript was 

 not intended for some African Zeritis or Chrysophanus ; and, in 

 common sense, one must conclude that until a genus is described 

 it has no legal existence. 



The species now placed by Dr. Staudinger under Cigaritis 

 represent merely two sections of the genus Spindasis. If Cigaritis 

 be retained at all, it can only be used for C. siphax, C. masinissa, 

 C. zohra, and C. cilissa, in which the secondaries are more 



BNTOM. — APEIL, 1899. I 



