notes on Butter Jiies from the Victoria Nyanzct. 217 



from T. petivermia in the greater length of the fore wings 

 and in the possession of pale sulphur-yellow areas at the base 

 of the hind wings only interrupted by dark crossing nervures. 

 .M. formosa neiimanni, Rothsch., from Abyssinia is of great 

 interest, and differs in several significant particulars from 

 typical formosa. 



These differential characters are — 



(a) Slightly shorter fore wings. 



(/3) The presence of a V-shaped mark of pale yellow 



between the median nervure and first median 



nervule near their junction. 

 (y) The brown colour of the fore wing is darker and 



less extensive. 



This latter characteristic has already been pointed out 

 by Mr. Walter Rothschild, Nov. Zool. 1902, p. 596. 



The above characters are also of great interest in that 

 they alt of them show affinities to T. limniace. 13 is 

 especially characteristic of that species. 



Having therefore inquired somewhat into the ancestry 

 of 3f. mercedonia and formosa it will be seen that their 

 elongated fore wings and pale areas at the base of their 

 hind wings are new developments and non-ancestral 

 characters. These two points however are characteristic 

 features not only of Papilio rex (in which they are 

 specially marked) but of several other African " Swallow- 

 tails," including P. leonidas itself, the mimic of T. 

 petiverana. 



There can be little doubt therefore that the above- 

 mentioned characters of these Danaines have been obtained 

 from the Fajntio. As regards the brown colour of both 

 Papilio and Danaine, on the other hand, the Danaine has 

 almost certainly been the model. In this matter we must 

 remember that red or reddish-brown is very rare in 

 African Painlios. It occurs in the trophonius ^ form of 

 F. cenea and F. ridleyanus, White, both mimetic ; also to a 

 less extent in the golden-brown triangle at the base of the 

 hind wing in the zenohia group of Fapilios mentioned 

 above. In Danaines, on the other hand, this colour is by 

 no means uncommon, e.g. Limnas, Satahcra and the allied 

 genus Anosia. Further, as we have already seen, T. 

 p)etiverana (the probable ancestor of the two Danaines in 

 question) exhibits a tendency to brownness as compared 

 with its Oriental allies. It is also a significant fact that 



