( xxxvi ) 



" N. nemetes as well as metella have a similar though not 

 identical clasper, agreeing in this respect better with JV. 

 saclava than do N. dumeiorum sind frohenia. 



" In dumetorum (Fig. B) the dorsal lobe is almost half- 

 crescent-shaped when looked at from the apical side, the 

 dorsal surface of the lobe being much wider than in N. saclava, 

 and the dorsal angle of the lobe projects much more than in 

 iV. saclava. I have examined two S $ . 



" In frobenia, of which I have examined only one specimen, 

 the lobe is more compressed than in N. dumetorum. The apex 

 of the lobe is dentate and the dorsal angle is produced into a 

 thorn-like process. 



" I may add that the tawny Oriental Neptis have quite a 

 different clasper, the similarity in colour with frohenia and 

 dumetorum being superficial. I have not been able to examine 

 N. comoraru7n and viayotteusis." 



This convergent evidence renders it certain that the four 

 tawny-marked species of Nejitis in the islands surrounding 

 Madagascar, are all closely related to one another and to the 

 white-marked saclava in Madagascar itself. The next point 

 which required clearing up was the distribution ; for although 

 each tawny species is known to exist in a separate island (or 

 perhaps group of islands in the case of coviorarunt,), outside 

 Madagascar, yro&e^im and dumetorum have both been stated to 

 occur in Madagascar as well. In settling this point it was 

 convenient to decide with it the precise distribution of the 

 species of Eaploea in the outlying islands, for some of these 

 have also been affirmed to exist in Madagascar. Upon this 

 subject Monsieur Charles Oberthiir can speak with greater 

 authority than any living naturalist, and he has kindly 

 answered my questions in detail. Writing on April 30th and 

 May 4th, he says : — 



'■'■ Neptis dumetorum. — Tons les exemplaires que j'ai vus 

 viennent de File Bourbon. Jamais je n'ai vu dwnietorum 

 provenant d'une autre localite. 



"iV". comorarum. — Tous les exemplaires ont cte pris aux 

 Comores ; jamais ailleurs. 



"i\^. maijotieiisis. — J'ai recju seulement un petit nombre 

 pris a Mayotte. Toujours mayotteitsis." 



