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XIII. A Blonogrci'ph of the genus Catochrysops Boisduval 

 {Auclomm). By G. T. Bethune-Baker, F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S. 



Plates XII— XXXII. 



[Read May 5th, 1922.] 



The genus Catochrysops was raised by Boisduval in the 

 " Voyage Astrolabe," p. 87, 1832, and in it be placed three 

 species, cyta, strabo and centaurus — three heterogeneous 

 species, and in more recent years a large number of 

 others, chiefly African, have found a resting-place 

 therein. 



In 1875 Scudder, in his " Historical Sketch of the Generic 

 Names of Butterflies," selected for the type of the genus 

 strabo (p. 136), but until this time it appears to have been 

 quite overlooked ; after this Moore used it in his " Butter- 

 flies of Ceylon," and Distant in his " Rhop. Malay." Then 

 came de Niceville in his work on the Indian Lycaenidae, 

 in which he carefully diagnosed it and catalogued the 

 species of his area. After this AurivilUus, in his " Rhopa- 

 locera Aethiopica," refers to it as a synonym of his 

 huge genus Cupido, and he places all its species and 

 others in his fifteenth section — a very heterogeneous 

 assembly indeed. It has been in general use since that 

 time. 



I wish I was able to follow the distinguished Swedish 

 author in his usage of the genus Cupido, but, when he says 

 it is the oldest genus, I am quite unable to follow him, and 

 in addition he has apparently overlooked the fact that as 

 long ago as 1870 Kirby had fixed the type of Cupido as 

 " alsus " {minima). It would also appear from his 

 (AurivilUus') remarks on the Lycaenine genera that 

 structural characters do not carry much weight with him, 

 because many of the genera he sinks are based on very 

 definite structural differences. 



If I review de Niceville's use of the genus it will serve, 

 I think, for all the Eastern species, whilst a review of 

 Aurivilhus' use will in like manner serve for the African 

 species. 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1922. — PARTS III, IV. (fEB. '23) U 



