56 
Lincoln College. The locality is especially well placed for 
the study of the southward drift of tropical S. American forms, 
and the collection is of great interest from this point of view ; 
although it also includes many species new to the University 
Collection. 175 specimens have been catalogued as permanent 
accessions and many more provisionally added to the collection. 
A very valuable and deeply interesting set of 25 Lepidoptera, 
from W. and S.W. China and from Sikkim, was presented by 
Monsieur Charles Oberthiir, of Rennes. The specimens raise 
problems of the greatest difficulty and interest concerning the 
mimetic resemblances of the northern belt and the influence 
exerted upon them by the products of the tropical south. 
The series contains examples of an Erycinid butterfly, 
Stiboges nymphidia, and of its mimic Adraxras nymphidiaria, 
a Geometrid moth. These latter are of much interest when 
placed beside specimens of Abraxas ctridoides, the Southern 
Indian mimic of a Zeracolus. A fine series of this latter mimic 
also has recently been acquired by the Department (see p. 567). 
Both mimics are probably protected by taste or smell, and 
their near ally in this country, Abraxas grosulariata, has been 
proved by many experiments to be distasteful to insect-eating 
animals. 
Another beautiful group consists of a butterfly model, Z7zme- 
laea albescens, with two mimics belonging to entirely different 
sections of moths: Odetda leopardaria and Botys rhyparialis. 
Another example, Hestina oberthiiri and Limenitis cottint, 
shows the tendency of species of very different genera—both 
conspicuous and probably distasteful—to resemble each other. 
One of the finest mimetic groups in the north of India 
and Burmah is that which surrounds the Danaine butterfly, 
Caduga tytia. One of the most beautiful and by far the 
rarest member is Neptis imitans, which now, owing to the 
generosity of Monsieur Oberthiir, finds a place in the Univer- 
sity Collection, together with another member, a form of 
Papilio agestor, from a locality new to us (Siao-lou, near 
Ta-tsien-lu, Szu-chuan). 
Finally, there are four examples of Lzmenztis albomaculata 
