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XXIII. On a collection of Heliconine forms from French 

 Guiana. By J. J. Joicey, F.E.S., and W. J. 

 Kaye, F.E.S. 



[Read November 1st, 1916.] 



Plates CVII, CVIII. 



The following account is concerning a collection made 

 during the months July, August and September, 1915, 

 between the places St. Jean and St. Laurent on the Maroni 

 river in French Guiana. The distance between the two 

 places is about twelve miles or rather less, and the distance 

 of St. Laurent (the nearer place) from the coast is about 

 twenty miles. The collection, which contained numbers of 

 specimens of other families, was, however, chiefly remark- 

 able for the vast number and variety of forms of Heliconius 

 melpomene and Heliconius erato. A few other species of 

 Heliconius were obtained, but only a very few specimens of 

 each. The other species were Heliconius egeria, H. numata, 

 H. silvana, H. xanthocles, H. antiochus, H. burneyi, H. dor is, 

 H. aoede, H. sara, and H. wallacei. The whole collection 

 was not undertaken for a special scientific diagnosis, and 

 in classifying the material of Heliconius melpomene it is 

 necessary to state that a number of typical melpomene * 

 were rejected by the collectors. It has been estimated that 

 something like a further 25 f typical melpomene could have 

 been taken during the three months. As it is, there are 

 731 specimens, which show a most wonderful range of 

 variation. Many forms are new, and others graduate 

 completely into these as well as to all the other known 

 forms that have ever come from French Guiana. The 

 following described forms are all contained in the series — 

 melpomene, Linn., atrosecta, Riff., lucia, Cram., lucinda, 

 Riff., melpomenides, Riff., funebris, Moesch., cybele, Cram., 

 hippolyte, Bates, tyche, Bates, ihelxiope, Hiibn., thelxiopeia, 

 Stgr., faustina, Stgr., eulalia, Riff., deinia, Moesch., mela- 

 nippe, Riff. 



* Including some identically coloured forms of the companion 

 species erato. 



t Very uncertain, but probably not more. 

 TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1916. — PARTS III, IV. (APRIL '17) 



