Diurnal Lepidoptera. 21 h 



Papilio Meeope, Cramer. (PL V. fig. 1.) 



? P. Cenea, var., StoU, Suppl. Cramer, pi. 29, figs. 1, 

 la (1779). 



Hob. — Graham's Town. Coll. Higgins. 



This variety, kindly lent to me by Mr. Higgins, is 

 chiefly interesting as being a connecting link between 

 the two forms of P. Cenea figured in Mr. Trimen's paper, 

 lately published in the Transactions of the Linnean 

 Society (vol. xxvi, p. 497, pi. 43, figs. 3, 4) ; it also to a cer- 

 tain extent explains the modification of Cenea into Hippo- 

 coon (which is apparently one of the most diflScult colour 

 transitions accomplished by this species) inasmuch as it 

 is almost intermediate between Cenea and the variety of 

 Hippocoon, represented at fig. 2 of Mr. Trimen's plate, 

 the pattern, but not the colouring, of the hindwings being 

 the same with that of the latter form. 



I cannot quite agree with all Mr. Trimen's conclusions 

 respecting P. Merope, for it seems to me, that though we 

 have every evidence that all the forms of this type now 

 existing have been modified from one original species, until 

 we can show a series of transitional varieties uniting them 

 all together, we shall be obliged to consider some of them 

 at least as distinct local species ; the Western form indeed 

 is so difierent even in the male sex from its Southern 

 representative, that it can be at once distinguished; the 

 same sex also difiers a little from less distant localities, 

 although not at all to the same extent that the female 

 does, yet, since amount of difierence does not constitute 

 a species, the slightest constant character is of importance. 



The forms of the Merope group in the Collection of the 

 British Museum are as under — 



(1) . Papilio Merope. 



(a.) Cenea. 



c?. Alae anticas macula subapicali elongata velut in 

 femina, margine externo distincte undato ; margine cos- 

 tali nigro paululum in cellam errante : posticse cauda 

 partim nigra; subtus fundo basali albido, apicali ochreo. 



9 Cenea, StoU, Suppl. Cramer, pi. 29, fig. 1 (1791) . 



(?, ? , Zoolu Country. Presented by G. F. Angas, Esq., 

 and Sir Andrew Smith. 



y2 



