( Ixiv ) 



appeared to be Acnra egina, round which clustered a number 

 of other species of the same genus so much alike as to be 

 probably indistinguishable upon the wing. Examples of these 

 wei'e exhibited, viz. A. zetes, jjerexna, rogersi, and 2)/iarsalus. 

 Another beautiful Papilionine member of the group, P. 

 riillei/anus, was also shown. Its pattern, in both sexes, was 

 nearest to that of the male ^1. egina. In fact, so close was 

 the resemblance that Godart had been entirely misled by it, 

 and had described the Fapilio under the name of zidora as 

 the female of Acnva eyina. Mr. Eoland Trimen, F.E.S., had 

 recently called the speaker's attention to this, and had in- 

 formed him that the specimen of the Papilio in the Dufresne 

 Collection at Edinburgh bears the MS. label " zidora, fem., 

 Egina, Cram.," probably in Godart's handwriting. Godart's 

 mistake had been recently pointed out by Mr. Percy H. 

 Grimshaw, and Mr. Tj-imen had himself recognized it fi'om 

 Godart's description, and had made a note of it in his copy 

 of the work. 



An obvious Nymphaline member of the group was Pseud- 

 acreca hoisduvalii, the male, like the last-named Papilio, 

 resembling most closely the male of Acrixa egina. It was the 

 under-side of the female Pseudacnva which first suggested to 

 the speaker the idea that antimachus was a member of the 

 same group. While the upper-side of the Papilio seemed 

 obviously mimetic of the male of Acrxa egina, the under-side 

 of its hind-wings possessed a remarkable and characteristic 

 ochreous ground-colour distinguishing it from any other 

 member of the group except the female Pseudacnva, in which 

 a distinct resemblance was manifest. That the approach has 

 been from "the side of the latter seemed clear on comparing the 

 female of the western form with that of its south-eastern close 

 ally Pseudacrxa trimeni, in which no trac of this peculiar 

 tint was to be found. Such deutero-synaposematic resemblance 

 Itetween these two mimics of the egina type of colouring and 

 pattern had been doubtless encouraged by the fact that they 

 were the two largest members of the whole group, the female 

 Psetidacra'a serving as a link between the immense Pajnlio and 

 the comparatively small but dominant and central Acrseine 

 members. The inclusion of antimachtis, in spite of its size, in 



4 . 



