the \\XALS AND MA<;A/.IXK OF NATURAL HlSTOBY/or 

 February 1880.] 



V 



on tlie Genus Brahmoea o/ Walker. 

 By ARTHUB G. BUTLER, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. 



The first figure of a species hi this genus is that by Petiver 

 (Gazoph. tab. 18. fig. 3), a perfectly recognizable illustration of a 

 species recorded as coming from the island of Chusan, and, as I 

 have noted (P. Z. S. 1860, p. 458), identical with B. lunulata and 

 undnlata of Bremer, a good figure of which is given in Me'netries's 

 Catalogue of the Lepidoptera in the St.-Petersburg Museum (pt. iii. 

 pi. 15. fig. 5). 



The first description of an Oriental species is that of B. certhia 

 given by Fabricius in the ' Entomologia Systematical iii. 1, p. 412. 

 n. 16 (1707) ; and as this description does not seem to have been 

 looked at by living Lepidopterists, at any rate in recent years, it 

 will perhaps astonish them not a little if I quote it verbatim : 



" Certhia. 16. B. alis patulis rotundatis fuscis apice cinereo albo 

 fuscoque undatis. 



"Petiv. Gazoph. tab. 18. fig. 3. 

 " Habitat in Chusau. Mus. Brit. 



" Magna. Corpus fuscum collari abdominisque lateribus cinereis. 

 Alse omnes concolores, basi fuscse, apice cinerea3, albo fuscoque 

 undata3." 



Therefore there cannot be a question that the B. lunulata (and 

 undulata) of Bremer is the typical B.> certhia of Fabricius. The 

 B. certhia of Walker, figured by myself (P. Z. S. 1866, p. 119, 

 fig. 1), may consequently be named B. conchifera, on account of the 

 beautifully shaded shell-like submarginal spots upon the wings. 



Another point in the synonymy of this genus has also been 

 cleared up through the transfer of the types of Lepidoptera in the 

 India Museum. Among these we received a Nepal species bearing 

 the type-labels of B. Wallichii, Gray, and B. spectabilis, Hope, and 

 agreeing perfectly with both descriptions and the figure. The spe- 

 cimen is from the collection of General Hardwicke, as stated by 

 Hope, and differs strikingly, both in coloration and pattern, on both 

 surfaces from the better-known B. conchifera of Darjeeliug and 

 Silhet. 



The true B. certhia of Fabricius, which 83 years ago was quoted 

 as in the British Museum, is now also not to be found. 



Two examples of B. Wallichii in Mr. Druce's collection agree in 

 all important characters with the type. 



N&8G059 



