314 Mr. H. Eltringham's Monograph of the 



M. Charles Oberthiir, to whom I am indebted for the 

 opportunity of making a careful examination of a series of 

 masamba, siYmand strattipocles, asserts, in a letter, his firm 

 opinion that masamha and silia are distinct species. I regret 

 that I shotild feel compelled to differ from the view of an 

 eminent collector to whom I owe so much valuable assist- 

 ance. The sole difference between the two forms is one of 

 colour. Certainly the ground-colour in h.-w. seems, in silia, 

 always to be slightly extended outwards in area 4, thus 

 causino^an indentation in the black of the marginal border, 

 but the same feature is observable in varying degrees of 

 development in a series of masamha. On the other hand, 

 tiiere is in both forms the same heavy yellow scaling of the 

 f-w. median nervure on the underside, the transparency of 

 the f-w. is caused in the same manner, and the male arma- 

 tures are not distinguishable. The alternation of red, 

 yellow, and white is a common phenomenon in other species, 

 and I feel bound therefore to consider silia as merely a 

 form of masamha. 



A. masamha 5 f- boseae. 



This is a form in which the red areas are replaced by pale 

 yellowish white, with a perhaps s'till greater tendency than in 

 f. silia to absence of spots in h.-w. areas. So far I have only- 

 seen 9 9 of this form, and judging by the analogy of other 

 Madagascan species the white colour is probably confined to 

 that sex. A 9 of the silia form now before me has, in the 

 h.-w., the inner margin, and the space between the marginal 

 border and the spots in areas lb to 3, almost white. 



121. ACRAEA SAMBAVAE. PI. XV, f. 15. 



Acraea sambavae, Ward, Ent. Mo. Mag., 10, p. 59 (1873) ; 

 Mabille, Nat. Hist. Mad. Lep., 1, p. 101, pi. 10, f. 7-9 

 (1885-7); Aurivillius, Rhop. Aeth., p. 112 (1898). 

 Madagascar. 



^. Expanse 54-5S mm. F.-w. Costa and apex powdered 

 with black, nervule ends broadly powdered with black on 

 hind margin forming a narrow border with a sinuous inner 

 outline. Cell almost to end, base of area 3, ba.sal half of 2, and 

 the whole of area lb, except just on margin, powdered with 

 deep brick red. Area la black powdered with red. Remainder 

 of wing transparent, due to a reduction in number and not in size 

 of the scales, these being also set somewhat on edge. H.-w. 

 brick red, yellowish in areas la, lb, and Ic, and having a slight 

 black basal suffusion. At extremities of nervules there are 



