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V. A reply to Dr. EMringham's paper on the genus Heli- 

 conius. By W. J. Kaye, F.E.S. 



[Read April 5th, 1916.] 



In reviewing Dr. Eltringham's groupings of the species of 

 Heliconius by their genitalia, it is necessary to be very 

 cautious as to the classificatory value of these organs. 

 In some cases close relationship is, on account of 

 practically identical genitalia, liable to be mistaken for 

 co-specificness. No doubt these dissections would be help- 

 ful, and where corroborative evidence was forthcoming 

 with series of specimens showing every gradation the 

 results might be regarded as proved. But even in the 

 supposed identical species melpomene, heurippa, amaryllis, 

 nth-anus, xenoclea, nanna, which Dr. Eltringham now 

 considered should include even such hitherto supposed 

 well-differentiated species as cydno, weymeri and pachinus, 

 there is not enough evidence at present in the form of 

 intergraded specimens to make that conclusion wholly 

 acceptable, especially for the last. With the others I am 

 disposed to agree they are probably one species. Pachinus 

 seems to offer the greatest difficulty, as it only occurs in 

 Chiriqui and Costa Rica and is there accompanied with 

 rosina (without doubt a local form of melpomene), but 

 the two show no tendency to unite. Here there would 

 be two subspecies of the same species occurring side by 

 side, which is an untenable position as we at present 

 understand species and subspecies. 



Similarly cydno and hermogenes occur together at Muzo 

 in Colombia, but do not intergrade. Cydno always has a 

 white band to the hindwing. It sometimes replaces the 

 yellow band of forewing with a white band, and is then 

 known as chioneus. Hermogenes always has a yellow 

 band to the hindwing. Temerinda is no doubt a form of 

 hermogenes, with the spots of the forewing united into a 

 band. Both of these latter forms could have either white 

 or yellow forewing bands or spots, but never, so far as is 

 known, a white hindwing band. 



The solving of the tumatumari mystery is very satis- 

 factory. Tumatumari occurs with pyrforus and other 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1916. — PART I. (AUG.) 



