/ 
Pe ae ae eat Chon NN Oe Ae PY Aa 
oT Ne a ie F * 2 ane 
re rad 
African Species of the Genus Neptis. 535 
exaleuca, is not easily distinguishable from that of incongrua, 
woodwardi, neavei, and, most remarkable of all, nemetes. 
All these species are totally different in outward appearance 
from ochracea and from each other. 
Again, the form described by Lord Rothschild as neavei 
is outwardly almost indistinguishable from the previously 
described swynnertoni, yet the armature of swynnertoni 
approaches that of exaleuca, to which species it has no 
outward resemblance whatever, whilst the claspers of 
neaver resemble those of ochracea, with which again there 
is no outward agreement. Where the structure of the 
armature is of a particularly simple kind and not subject 
to any characteristic elaborations no difficulty arises. 
Where, however, that structure is found to be highly 
modified, and also of a very distinct character as compared 
with other forms in the same genus, we should at first 
sight be tempted to suppose that those species possessing a 
distinctive type of armature were therefore closely related. 
But, as we now see, in the genus Neptis there are species 
whose armatures are most closely similar and_ highly 
specialised, which, to judge by their outward facies, are 
very widely separated. At the same time there are forms 
which appear nearly allied in their outward characters, 
but have markedly different genitalia. 
Apart from the foregoing examples we have the difficulty 
of the forms of nysiades described more fully under the 
heading of that species. 
Dr. W. J. Holland (Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., xliii, 
6, p. 164, 1920) proposes a new genus, Neptidomima, in 
which he places one species Neptis exaleuca. He bases 
this separation on the structure of the palpi, which he 
describes as “‘ more robust, porrect, and hirsute’ than in 
any species known to him. It is true that the palpi in 
this species are densely clothed with flat scales, most of 
them black. The same, however, applies to the palpi 
in woodwardi, ochracea, incongrua, and some other species. 
If we are to take this character as generic, then the other 
spécies named must also be included in the new genus. 
Now, the genital armatures of these forms are of the same 
character as that of nemetes, certainly a true Neptis. For 
reasons stated above I cannot, in this genus at least, attach 
too much importance to the armature as a test of near 
affinity; nevertheless, the establishment of a separate 
genus for ewaleuca and the other species with similar palpi 
