150 Mr. W. J. Kaye's reply to 



species in the Potaro district of British Guiana. When 

 I described pyrforus as a subspecies of vulcanus 1 did 

 so feeling that it could not possibly be a subspecies 

 of melpomene, as tumatumari appeared to be another 

 subspecies linking on to thelxiope. More recently I have 

 felt convinced that vulcanus and its subspecies were 

 really forms of mdpomme. Now Dr. Eltringham has 

 made the discovery that tumatumari is a widely removed 

 species, and thus the old difficulty of two co-existent sub- 

 species vanishes. That tumatumari should show strong 

 resemblance to the silvaniform genitalia is remarkable 

 and almost unique among melpomeniform-lookmg insects. 

 There are probably other species that are as yet un- 



^ThlrTis one other point in connection with all the forms 

 proposed to be included under melpomene. It is somewhat 

 anomalous if one united all the Melpomeniformes and 

 Cydnoformes as one species that besckei should be , left 

 out It occurs only above 2500 ft. m S. Brazi , and is fai 

 commoner at 3000 ft. It is possible that it replaces nanna 

 of a lower elevation, but intermediates between the two 

 are apparently unknown. Moreover nanna is always 

 rare and besckei very common. I feel disposed to think 

 that Dr. Eltringham is right in separating it as distinct 

 from melpomene, but this seems to rather weaken the case 

 for all the other forms being one species, especially as 

 besckei is onlv slightly different. 



The compLion species of group II, viz. ™to,M 

 Dr Eltringham thinks should include himera, microclea 

 cyrbia, favorinus, petiveranus, hydarus, and amphitnte is 

 very possibly and even probably true to a large extent, as 

 S^n/series of several have ^^ 

 On the other hand, there is the same difficulty with this 

 aroup as with melpomene. In some cases, such as eyrbia 

 andlmem we find two constant forms occurring together. 

 Such X'case with these two at Loja in Ecuador. Erato 

 is however, locally so extraordinarily polymorphic such 

 as in East Bolivia, that it is quite likely mtergrades of 

 even tern and cyrbia will be found m some locality yet 



t ^n%t C Pr e o r c ed Ent. Soc, 1907, p. xiv, I had already 

 suspected notabiUs of being an extreme form of erato. 

 Ses no longer any doubt that many Hehconius species 

 can In erchange the colours red, white and yellow, and as 



