﻿certainly 
  the 
  most 
  interesting 
  of 
  all 
  insular 
  butterflies, 
  and 
  in 
  

   its 
  wandering 
  ^propensities 
  and 
  adaptability 
  to 
  new 
  localities, 
  

   it 
  rivals 
  even 
  the 
  more 
  famous 
  Danaida 
  plexippus. 
  In 
  the 
  

   Indian 
  Ocean 
  its 
  range 
  has 
  quite 
  recently 
  extended 
  to 
  Mada- 
  

   gascar, 
  where 
  previous 
  to 
  1915 
  it 
  was 
  quite 
  unknown, 
  but 
  since 
  

   that 
  year 
  the 
  Oxford 
  University 
  Museum 
  has 
  received 
  a 
  good 
  

   many 
  specimens 
  (of 
  the 
  Indian 
  tyj)e) 
  taken 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  coast 
  

   of 
  that 
  great 
  island 
  by 
  the 
  Ven. 
  Archdeacon 
  (now 
  Bishop) 
  

   Kestell-Cornish. 
  It 
  probably 
  occurs 
  on 
  nearly 
  every 
  island 
  

   within 
  the 
  Tropics 
  in 
  the 
  Pacific, 
  with 
  the 
  exception, 
  already 
  

   noted, 
  of 
  the 
  Hawaiian 
  group 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  evidently 
  able 
  to 
  adapt 
  

   itself 
  to 
  the 
  conditions 
  of 
  the 
  smallest 
  and 
  least 
  fertile 
  atolls, 
  

   where 
  even 
  Danaida 
  plexippus 
  fails 
  to 
  establish 
  a 
  footing. 
  

   Throughout 
  its 
  vast 
  range 
  the 
  male 
  is 
  singularly 
  constant 
  in 
  

   appearance, 
  and 
  varies 
  only 
  in 
  size, 
  in 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  white 
  

   scaling 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  blue 
  spots 
  of 
  both 
  wings, 
  and 
  in 
  

   the 
  greater 
  or 
  less 
  distinctness 
  of 
  the 
  underside 
  markings, 
  

   and 
  the 
  subterminal 
  series 
  of 
  white 
  dots 
  above. 
  These 
  dots 
  

   are 
  very 
  conspicuous 
  in 
  specimens 
  from 
  the 
  Indian 
  region 
  and 
  

   from 
  the 
  northern 
  and 
  western 
  area 
  of 
  its 
  range, 
  but 
  as 
  we 
  

   proceed 
  eastward, 
  they 
  become 
  less 
  distinct 
  and 
  finally 
  disap- 
  

   pear. 
  The 
  female, 
  on 
  the 
  contrary, 
  is 
  perhaps 
  the 
  most 
  variable 
  

   of 
  all 
  butterflies, 
  and 
  nearly 
  every 
  fairly' 
  extensive 
  group 
  of 
  

   islands 
  appears 
  to 
  produce 
  its 
  distinctive 
  race. 
  Specific 
  rank 
  

   has 
  been 
  accorded 
  by 
  various 
  Lepidopterists 
  to 
  many 
  of 
  these 
  

   forms, 
  but 
  it 
  seems 
  to 
  me 
  nearer 
  the 
  truth 
  to 
  regard 
  them 
  as 
  

   variations 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  polymorphic 
  species, 
  resulting 
  from 
  

   different 
  conditions 
  of 
  environment, 
  rainfall, 
  temperature 
  

   and 
  other 
  modifying 
  influences. 
  

  

  The 
  form 
  of 
  H. 
  holina 
  found 
  by 
  Dr. 
  G. 
  C. 
  Bourne 
  in 
  Diego 
  

   Garcia 
  (Chagos 
  Islands) 
  is 
  specially 
  remarkable 
  for 
  the 
  great 
  

   extension 
  of 
  the 
  white 
  markings 
  above 
  and 
  beneath, 
  and 
  

   a 
  closely 
  similar 
  variation 
  has, 
  curiously 
  enough, 
  been 
  observed 
  

   in 
  Palawan 
  Island 
  in 
  the 
  Philippines. 
  It 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  Fiji 
  Islands 
  

   that 
  the 
  variation 
  of 
  the 
  butterfly 
  probably 
  reaches 
  its 
  maxi- 
  

   mum; 
  the 
  female 
  there 
  ranges 
  from 
  a 
  practically 
  unicolorous 
  

   fulvous, 
  pale 
  ochreous, 
  or 
  even 
  whitish-ochreous 
  ground-colour 
  

   in 
  which 
  the 
  distinctive 
  markings 
  are 
  nearly 
  lost, 
  to 
  the 
  large 
  

   and 
  handsomely 
  marked 
  form 
  neruui, 
  F., 
  of 
  Queensland, 
  the 
  

  

  