Species of the Genus Limenitis. 477 



two outlying forms, the whole genus is evidently the out- 

 come of prolonged isolation and specific differentiation in 

 the Neotropical Region ; while there are no reasons, except 

 those founded on superficial resemblances of colour and 

 pattern for supposing that ealifornica and hredmoi are the 

 outcome of any such history. But in removing these two 

 forms from AdeliJha and transferring them to Limenitis, 

 they lose a place in a definite and probably permanent 

 genus and enter a heterogeneous and obviously provisional 

 assemblage. Already the majority of the North American 

 species have been split off as Basilarchia, while lorquini* 

 Boisd., has been included, with the European i^optdi, in 

 Najas, and the Chinese albomaculata separated as Hypo- 

 limnesthes. All these changes fall far short of what is 

 required, viz. a careful revision of the %v]wle assemblage of 

 species included under the old Limenitis. Until this task 

 is undertaken the creation of new isolated genera or sub- 

 genera may obscure rather than reveal the true relation- 

 ships, and I therefore prefer to follow Godman and Salvin 

 in provisionally placing the whole of the species under 

 Limenitis in the broad sense, at the same time directing 

 attention with these authorities to the composite nature of 

 the gi'oup and the necessity for its thorough revision. I 

 only differ from them by acting upon the doubt which they 

 express, and removing a discordant element from Adelpha. 

 The southern form, Limenitis hrcdotui, Htibn., occurs in 

 Guatemala, Mexico and Arizona, the northern form, L. 

 ealifornica, Butl., in California and Oregon. An example 

 from each of these localities is figured on Plate XKV. 

 Californica is also recorded by Dr. W. J. Holland (1. c, 

 p. 188) from Nevada, and it would be extremely interest- 

 ing to ascertain whether, on the S.E. borders of this State 

 and of California, it interbreeds with and is transitional 

 into hredmoi, in Arizona. Dr. Holland says of the northern 

 form — " In its habits and manner of flight it closely 

 resembles the species of the genus Basilarchia " (1. c, 

 pp. 187-8). And of the larval stage the same authority 

 writes (p. 187) : — " while in general resembling the cater- 

 pillars of the genus Basilarchia, the segments are adorned 



* Lorquini was included, witli the other N. American species, in 

 Basilarchia, in Proc. Ent. Soc. Loud., 1907, pp. Ixxvii, Ixxix and Ixxx, 

 following the arrangement of Dr. W. J. Holland. By a printer's 

 error which unfortunately escaped notice, " W " (for West) has been 

 printed instead of N (for North) on p. Ixxx. 



