xu 



that of other parts of the Mediterraueau region ; but notwithstanding that 

 large parts of the country are still quite unexplored, the material at hand 

 is enough to show that Asia Minor probably contains a larger number of 

 species of Rliopalocera than any other part of the Palsearctic region. 



" The only districts in which the insect fauna has been at all carefully 

 studied are, first, those of the Eastern Taurus, above Tarsus, where Joseph 

 Haberhauer spent two seasons in collecting. The climate of the plains in 

 this part of Asia Minor is excessively hot, moist and unhealthy during 

 summer and autumn, whilst that of the mountains is drier and cooler. The 

 whole of the Taurus ranges west of Messina remain unvisited by a naturalist, 

 and will certainly be found extremely ricli and interesting, especially in 

 Lycia and the neighbourhood of Adalia. Secondly, the environs of Broussa, 

 in the nortli-west, have been well worked by Mann, who spent the seasons of 

 1851 and 18(33, and found the fauna extremely lich. In the west, north, and 

 north-east, Lederer and Kindermann have made several collecting tours, 

 the neighbourhood of Amasia being found not only the richest locality in 

 Asia Minor, but, as far as I am able to judge, it is for its situation one of 

 the richest in the world. Dr. Staudinger also visited Amasia in 1875, and 

 collected most of the species now exhibited. The high ranges of Armenia 

 and Lazistan will doubtless prove very rich, though the climate is much 

 colder and damper than in the south and centre of the country. 



" A glance at the collection will show that the majority of the species 

 are identical with, or very nearly allied to, those of Southern and Central 

 Europe ; but in addition to the European species, of which not many 

 are absent, we have a number peculiar to Asia Minor, or only found to 

 the east of it. Taking the genera first, we find that the only European 

 ones not found in Asia Minor are Mneis {Chionobas), Nemeohius, Triphysa, 

 and Cijclopides, the last of which, as well as Charaxes and Danais, are 

 nearly sure to be found on the south coast, though not as yet discovered. 

 In place of these we have the following, which do not occur in Europe 

 generally: — Doritis, a purely Levantine genus; Zegris, only found in 

 Spain and S.E. Russia ; Thestor, only on the coast of France and Spain ; 

 Cigaritis, a N. African and Syrian genus; and Tluderopis, peculiar to Asia 

 Minor. An analysis of the genera gives the following results : — Total 

 number 07, against 44 in the whole of the Palsearctic region, of which 

 about thirty are found in Europe generally, and three or four more in 

 various parts of the Mediterranean subregion. 



" Of these thirty-seven genera, seven — viz., Doritis, Thais, Legris, 

 Anthocharis, Thestor, Cigaritis, Tlialeropis — are peculiar to or liighly 

 characteristic of the Mediterranean subregion ; two, Parnassia and Colias, 

 are characteristic of Alpine and Arctic regions generally ; seven — namely, 

 Leiicophasia, Pulyoniiiiatus, Melaiiargia, Satyrus, Epinephele, Canonympha, 

 and Spilothyras — seem to be most characteristic of Europe and the 



