344 MORPHO. By H. Fruhstorfee. 



the Pacific coast, so that Godmaj^ and S.u.vin in 1S81 still treated them as separate species. In order to 

 explain the present heterogeneous mixture of races these authors advanced the theory that the Isthmus 

 of Panama was originally inhabited by two species of MorpJio, of which certain forms of hyacinthus Btlr. in- 

 habited the islands wliich occupied the position of the present Panama and Costa Rica, the older species, 

 which they considered to be peleides KolL, being only indigenous to Colombia, and further that no Morpho 

 at that time occured in Guatemala and Mexico. But after geological revolutions had produced the present 

 union of the land, peleides was enabled to push its way along the isthmus, passing hyacinthus in Costa Rica, 

 and occupying the rest of Central America, Yucatan and Southern Mexico. Those forms which were deve- 

 loped on the Pacific coast of Guatemala were most modified and became octavia, wliile the rest only differed 

 sli<yhtly from their Colombian ancestors. According to our pi'esent knowledge such a comiilicated explanation 

 is no longer needed; the Morphids in question are simply local and individual variations, such as we meet 

 with, but modified to an even greater degree, among the members of other families (Papilionids, Euthaliids), 

 particularly in Asia, peleides is undoubtedly a near relation of achilles and i^robably its northern form, as 

 GoDMAN and Salvin assumed, and in Colombia peleides starts where achilles disap^Dears, as it only inhabits 

 the western part of the country from Bogota to the Pacific coast, whilst achilles stops before the East Cordilleras. 

 peleides agrees with achilles in habits, as it also frequents the underwood, unlike its sun-loving congeners M. 

 cypris and theseus.- The individual forms approach achilles above in bearing a broad black-brown basal area 

 (limpida, 67 a) or approximate more to achillaena in the absence of basal darkening (octavia, 69 a). Yet be- 

 tween the two main forms all imaginable transitions occur; thus the basal area may also have a light blue or 

 a dark steel-blue reflection as in peleus Rob. Extremely variable also are the submarginal wliite spots and 

 costal patches of the forewing, of which two or three more or less prominent rows may be present, accom- 

 panied by transcellular median white dots, but likewise quite irregular. Only in the $$ is tlris median orna- 

 mentation always present and in them the brown distal border on the forewing is sometimes widened nearly 

 to the cell. The $$ as a rule have the upper surface of the liindwing light glossy blue throughout, but there 

 occur also $-forms with almost entirely brown upper surface, on wliich only the rudiments of a median band, 

 in this case dark blue, are present. The colouring of the under surface also varies, apparently quite without 

 system, the races from Colombia and Mexico being the deepest black-brown beneath, while between them in 

 Central America occur the examples which are strongly banded with whitish in the distal part, especially 

 on the forewing. One character, however, remains constant through all the forms; this is the nose-shaped 

 distal projection of the whitish grey median line on the underside of the hiudwing, which forms an acute angle 

 between the anterior and the three posterior ocelli and is never interrupted at this place, whereas in achillaena, 

 races the median band may be broken uj) or continuous within the limits of the same geographical race. Clasp- 

 ing organs very close to those of M. achilles; valve distally more distinctly dentate, but appreciably more 

 narrowly, the dorsal pad, however, already reduced. Ventral process of the uncus as weak as in achilles. Penis 

 motitezuma. armed with longer and more pointed teeth than in achilles and achillaena. — ■ montezuma fhien. i.s the most 

 northerly and the smallest race and at the same time the most easily distinguished on account of the rounded 

 forewing, which is surrounded by a relatively broad deep black distal border containing only one row of pure 

 white punctiform spots, of the size of a pin's head. The distal border sends out fine black points along the 

 veins. Under surface predominantly red-brown with strikingly small ocelli and reddish yellow anteterminal 

 bands on both wings and a reddish yellow shade beyond the cell on the forewing; $$ are apparently rare; 

 they are wanting in my collection. Godman and Salvin give Yucatan as locality. — Through the firm of 

 zela. Bang-Haas I recently received an interesting local or seasonal, perhaps mountain form, zela subsp. nov., 

 of distinct montezumi character in its rounded forewing and with still more pronounced, dull vinous bands 

 on the under surface, and noteworthy above for having the black distal border of the forewing only a few mm. 

 in breadth, very little ornamented with white, and proximally sending out no black teeth along the veins. 

 octavia. A more exact locality than Mexico could not be ascertained. — octavia Bates (69 a) must be considered 

 one of the most remarkable and most easily recognized Morphids on account of its delicate light blue but 

 uncommonly glossy reflection and the extended wliitish brown bordering of the wings. The $ is even 

 paler than the rj and in both sexes the eye-spots of the under surface show through distinctly. Under 

 surface basally light cocoa-brown, the distal area light havanna-brown with slight violet sheen, whitish 

 bands and flesh-coloured anteterminal spots. Ocelli, particularly those of the hindwing , with very 

 broad light ochre-yellow bordering. Habitat exclusively the forests of the Pacific coast of Guatemala. 

 zonaras. — ■ As zonaras subsp. nov. we here introduce a further local form allied to the octavia tj'pe , the type 

 of which is in the British Museum, with the very doubtful locality "Colombia". The cJ differs from 

 octavia in the still purer white anteterminal shade and the lighter blue basal part of both wings. Beneath 

 the brown marginal area extends further proximad to the wall of the cell and the submarginal 



