Dr. G. B. Longstaff's Bionomic Notes oil Butterjiies. 665 



extremely variable, in ground colour, in the size of the 

 ocelli on the upper surface (especially the anterior ocellus 

 on the hind-wing), in the presence or absence of a greenish 

 gloss, or "glance," and in the presence or absence of a 

 transverse white band on the fore-wings (zonalis, Felder). 

 In some specimens from Guiana this white band is re- 

 placed by a purplish gloss. It is almost impossible to 

 divide these varieties into local races since the various 

 forms overlap considerably, and the most widely different 

 forms are found in Mexico. However, speaking generally, 

 it may be said that the form ccenia, Hiibn., prevails in 

 the United States and northern Mexico, that the form 

 zonalis, Feld. {genoveva, auctorum) prevails in the West 

 Indies (approaching to cmnia in the Bahamas), that the 

 type form lavinia, Cram., of which the $ has a hind -wing 

 with a green gloss, prevails in Brazil, a brown form in Peru. 

 But what does not seem to have been generally noticed 

 is that all the numerous varieties are themselves dimorphic. 

 That is to say, that (as in the Indian species of Precis) they 

 may be divided, as regards the colouring of the under sur- 

 face of the hind-wings, into (1) those with several ocelli, of 

 which two at least are conspicuous, (2) those in which the 

 ocelli are merely indicated by black dots, or are entirely 

 wanting, and (3) individuals intermediate in this respect. 

 Analogy with the East would lead one to call the first Wet- 

 season forms and the second Dry-season forms. 



Precis lavinia, Cram. 



