African species of the Lycaenesthes group of Lycaenidae. 3 
consider that tliese can rightly be put in either Lycaenesthes 
or Triclema, so that for the sake of the observer of the 
future it appears to me to be advisable to further sub¬ 
divide the genus, then the man who follows me hereafter 
may be able to show whether the group has become more 
homogeneous, or whether it has been further subdivided 
in its struggle for existence. The whole group has proved 
to be very complex and most difficult to treat; the under¬ 
side pattern separates itself into two well-marked sections, 
the upperside separates itself into four or five equally well- 
marked sections, whilst there are individual species that 
stand out quite separate from these; unfortunately for the 
systematiser, however, these well-marked groups according 
to colour or pattern do not run structurally along similar 
lines, but fall somewhat indiscriminately into the various 
genera. The genus Lyeaenesthes takes all the species 
(sens, strict.) and forms a most homogeneous section, but 
apart from these a large number of a quite different pat¬ 
tern and colour must be included in the genus in its wider 
application, so that we find no less than 56 species falling 
under its range. The other genera are more homogeneous 
on the whole, the one or two divergences occurring will be 
found mentioned under the respective species. I still con¬ 
sider that a genus should not be raised on the character of 
pattern and colour only; our knowledge of the physiological 
changes required to produce an alteration in pigment colour 
or pattern is almost nil, and therefore apart from structure 
it should not be used. The development of pattern of the 
underside is readily followed through the somewhat simple 
markings (simple for Lycaenidae) of the musagetes-ligures 
section, through the heavy pattern of the larydas group 
into the complex design of the lysicles-scintihdla sub¬ 
sections. It is also interesting to find in tropical Africa 
an almost precisely similar evolution of colour as obtains 
in the temperate regions of the world; we have in this 
small group blues of all shades, browns, and coppers—the 
latter a colour quite separable from the coppers of the 
Capys and Phasis genera of South Africa, and it also differs 
from Heodes (if the species usually cited under it really 
belong to that genus), which is more closely allied to our 
Palaearctic Chrysophanus. The sexes are occasionally 
somewhat different, this being more noticeable in the 
species lachares originally described by Hewitson from a 
female, and being brown with a largish yellow patch, 
B 2 
