of South African Tineina. 223 



whiteness of the anterior wings, the large size of the spots and 

 the two grey blotches, tlie first of which placed obliquely near the 

 middle, the second at the anal angle. 



One specimen was taken at Knysna, in January. 



XIX. Contributions to an Insect Fauna of the Amazon 

 Valley. By H. W. Bates, Esq., Gor. Memb. Ent. 

 Soc. 



Part I. Diurnal Lepidoptera. 



[Read March 5lh, I860.] 



In treating of the Insect Fauna of the Amazon Valley in the 

 present and subsequent papers, I shall have to speak of the region, 

 investigated by myself during eleven years' travel and residence, 

 as divided into three great districts; viz. Upper Amazon, Lower 

 Amazon and Para. It will be necessary, therefore, to commence 

 with defining the limits of these sub-divisions, and adducing some 

 of the reasons for establishing them. The Upper Amazon, then, 

 is that portion of the Valley wliich, commencing at the eastern 

 foot of the Andes, near the mouth of the Huallaga, in 70° VV. long., 

 extends on the north side to the right bank of the river Negro in 

 about 59° ; and on the south side to the left bank of the Madeira 

 in 58° 20' W. long. The Lower Amazon commences at these 

 points, and extends, on the north side, to the mouth of the river 

 at Macapa, and on the south to the left bank of the Xingu, in 

 about 52° W. long. The Para district, comprising the southern 

 half of the Delta of the Amazon, begins at the right bank of the 

 Xingu and terminates at the mouth of the river near Para in 

 48° W. long., including the southern and eastern shores of the 

 island of Marajo. 



The three districts thus defined, although forming one and the 

 same river valley, presenting a range of latitude of at most not more 

 than three or four degrees, offer a great diversity in their Zoolo- 

 gical productions. If we take as an example the distribution 

 of the species of the first and most conspicuous group of Diurnal 

 Lepidoptera, — the genus Papilio, — we shall find the following 

 data : — 



Total number of species and distinct local sub- 

 species . . . . . . . . . . . • 41 



