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specimens from the Comoros and Mayotte. So far as I am 

 aware the single specimen of mayottensis in the British 

 Museum is the sole example of these two forms, in this country. 

 I therefore wrote to Monsieur Charles Oberthiir, of Rennes, 

 asking for information concerning the pattern of comorarum. 

 With great generosity my kind friend at once presented to 

 "the Hope Collection the interesting examples of comorarum, 

 mayottensis, ihimetorum, and the Madagascar form of saclava 

 which are now exhibited. The two specimens of comorarum 

 and the mayottensis formed part of the collection made by 

 L. Humblot (1885-6). 



Comparing the four species it is at once evident that the 

 eastern pair chimetorum a,nd fi'obenia, are related together and 

 quite distinct from the north-western pair, mayottensis and 

 comorarum, which are even more closely related to each other. 

 Furthermore, as we should expect from their more isolated 

 position, the eastern species are far more distantly removed 

 from the Madagascar saclava than the north-western ; while 

 in each pair the species from the outer island is far more 

 remote from saclava than the species in the island which is 



[xxxviii 

 nearer to Madagascar. Mayottensis indeed appears to be so 

 near to saclava that there is practically nothing but colour to 

 separate it. In the British Museum it is accorded subspecific 

 rank only. Its close affinity to saclava was pointed out by 

 Oberthiir in the original description. 



So far as it is possible to infer from a very limited number 

 of specimens in a group where individual difference in size 

 is strongly marked, dumetorum is the largest of the five 

 species, then saclava, then frohenia, while the two north- 

 western species, which appear to be about equal in size, are 

 the smallest. 



The tawny markings of the upper surface are much deeper 

 in tint in the eastern species : frohenia is in this respect 

 slightly but distinctly darker than dumetorimi. Comorarum, 

 •on the other hand, is almost precisely of the same pale tawny 

 shade as mayottensis. It may be faintly deeper in tint, but I 

 could not feel certain of this. The ground-colour is blackest in 

 dumetoi'um : in frohenia it is of a much duller browner shade. 



