( 22 ) 



fortunately not able to submit either comorarimi or viayottensis 

 to dissection. 



^^ NejJtis saclava, Boisd., and its nearest allies differ from the 

 majority of the species of Neptis in one very conspicuous 

 character in the genital organs. The clasper of these species 

 is divided by a narrow sinus at the apex into two lobes. 

 The ventral lobe (Fig. A, a) is broad and rounded, being 

 almost the same in the various allies of saclava. The dorsal 

 lobe (5), on the other hand, exhibits easily recognised [specific 

 differences. This lobe is somewhat twisted. In saclava 

 (Fig. A) the top of the dorsal lobe lies over the outer surface 

 of the ventral lobe, not being visible in a view from the inner 

 side as here represented. Dorsally the lobe bears a thin ridge 

 which is more or less denticulate. This ridge projects more 

 in Continental specimens (iV. saclava marpessa) than in 

 Malagasic ones (N. s. saclava, Fig. A). The specimens 

 dissected show some individual variability in the shape of the 

 lobe. 



[xxxvi 



" iV. nemetes as well as metella have a similar though not 

 identical clasper, agreeing in this respect better with N. 

 saclava than do N. ditmetorum a.nd yi'obenia. 



" In dumetorum (Fig. B) the dorsal lobe is almost half- 

 crescent-shaped when looked at from the apical side, the 

 dorsal surface of the lobe being much wider than in N. saclava, 

 and the dorsal angle of the lobe projects much more than in 

 N. saclava. I have examined two $ S . 



" In frohenia, of which I have examined only one specimen, 

 the lobe is more compressed than in N. dumetorum. The apex 

 of the lobe is dentate and the dorsal angle is produced into a 

 thorn-like process. 



" I may add that the tawny Oriental Neptis have quite a 

 different clasper, the similarity in colour with frohenia and 

 dumetorum being superficial. I have not been able to examine 

 N. comorarimi and viayottensis," 



This convergent evidence renders it certain that the four 

 tawny-marked species of Neptis in the islands surrounding 

 Madagascar, are all closely related to one another and to the 

 white-marked saclava in Madagascar itself. The next point 



