African Sjyecies of the Genus Acraea. 91 



be more or less scaled with pink, and the black spots as 

 large as in the male. Some examples of this form of 9 are 

 distinctly intermediate in pattern between the entirely trans- 

 parent 9 and the ordinary ^. This second form is usually 

 found in Somaliland. 



The discovery of the identity of Grose-Smith's A. 

 crystallina with the $ A. chilo is due to my friend Mr. 

 S. A. Neave who came to this interestinor conclusion after 

 studying the series of Somaliland $ $ now in the Hope 

 Department. It should be noted that Grose-Smith (/. c.) 

 -described his crjistallina as a $. Unfortunately in this 

 otherwise admirable work the sexing is most unreliable. 

 A. chilo is very closely allied to A. zeies acara the male 

 armature presenting but little difference. The ^ chilo is 

 however very constant in markings, and until I have seen 

 an example which shows a pattern distinctly intermediate 

 between it and A. zetes acara, I do not feel justified in 

 regarding them as one species. Acraea oscari is equally 

 closely allied and the advent of fuller material may cause 

 all three to be regarded as specifically identical. 



30. Acraea oscari. PL III, i.Q{S)- PI- VIII, f. 5. 



Acraea oscan, Rothschild, Novit. Zool., ix, p. 595 (1902) ; 

 Eltringham, Novit. Zool., xviii, p. 151 (1911). 

 Abyssinia (Banka, Inderatcha, Charada). 



1^. Expanse 60-70 mm. Wings dull red. F.-w. dusted 

 with black along costa, basal black extending shortly into cell 

 and rather further below median. A minute black spot on costa 

 near base. Hind margin broadly black bearing seven sub- 

 marginal dull orange-ochreous internervular spots. Large 

 black spots as follows : — one subbasal and one median spot in 

 cell, and one oblique transverse spot at end of cell' on dis- 

 cocellulars. About midway between end of cell and apex an 

 oblique transverse bar of confluent spots from costa to nervule 4. 

 Below this and nearer end of cell a spot in area 3. In area 2 

 a spot, touching median and nervules 2 and lb. In area lb one 

 submarginal and one subbasal spot, and between these, in area la, 

 a median inner marginal spot. H.-w. with more or less con- 

 fluent basal spots and a broad black hind margin bearing seven 

 small whitish spots, that in Ic doubled. Discal area more or 

 less suffused with whitish, and bearing black spots as follows : — 

 in area 7 a subbasal and a median spot, followed by three in 



