6 Mr. H. Eltringham on the Forms and 



o 



makes Oberthiir's Jlavescens synonymous with the same 

 author's kilimandjara, Rogenhofer's confusa and fallax, 

 and Karsch's octohalia. The latter appears to be an 

 aberration of johnstoni, in which the yellow spots are 

 ringed with a darker colour. 



I have lately examined in the British Museum a very 

 curious example of johnstoni from Kilimanjaro. It 

 resembles the fallax form of lycoa so closely that I hesi- 

 tated to decide its identity from the external features 

 alone. Mr. Heron kindly allowed me to examine the 

 genitalia, and it proved to be johnstoni as above indicated. 

 The quadrate appearance of the hindwing patch is almost 

 lost on the upperside, though rather more developed 

 beneath. Placed side by side with the forms of lycoa 

 from Kenia above described, the two species would certainly 

 be difficult to distinguish. 



The last form o^ johnstoni which I have seen described 

 is the Acraea toruna of Grose-Smith. It presents certain 

 peculiar features, and will be considered apart from the 

 other forms. 



I have endeavoured throughout the foregoing somewhat 

 tedious explanation to distinguish between forms which 

 appertain to lycoa and those which are conspecific with 

 johnstoni, because, as the result of my investigation, I am 

 convinced that lycoa and johnstoni are separate species, 

 and remain so throughout the length of their geographical 

 range. That of lycoa has already been outlined. Acraea 

 johnstoni occurs in the Tiriki Hills and extends as far 

 south as Chirinda in S.E. Rhodesia. In this latter locality 

 all the examples I have seen, some twenty in number, are 

 of the confusa form (\nc\\xd.mg flavcscens). The spots and 

 hindwing patch vary from yellow to white. In some cases 

 the specimens have all white markings. Plate I, fig. 15, 

 shows a female from this region.* 



* Since the above was written I have had an opportunity of 

 examining a fine series of Acraea johnstoni taken in Nyassaland by 

 Mr. S. A. Neave. There are forty-five of the confusa form, varying 

 from yellow to white spotted, the only combination not represented 

 being white hindwing patch and yellow forewiiig spots. One example 

 has white forewing spots and dark yellow hindwing patch ( = semi- 

 albescens). There are, in addition, four examples of a peculiar form 

 of semifulvescens in which the forewing spots are not obsolescent 

 as is usual in this form, but are as white and distinct as in confusa. 

 The examples are all males. They have a striking appearance 

 and form an interesting connecting link between confusa and 

 semifulvescens. 



