1896.] FROM NTASA-LAND. 115 



As an example of the inconsistency of those lepidopterists who 

 have been styled " Lumpers," Hewitson's separation of two 

 palpable forms of the present species is noteworthy. 



30. ACR^A EXCELSIOR. 



Acrcea excelsior, E. M. Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1891, p. 192, pi. xvii. 

 fig. 3. 



c? ^ Kondowi, Lower Nyika, TV. of Lake Nyasa, April 4th and 

 6th ;. $ $ , Nyankowa Mt., 6500 feet alt., April 9fcb ; rf , Lumpi E. 

 valley, Lower Nyika, April 21st, 1895. 



" Deep-bordered orange and black Fritillary " (R. 0.). 



This rare species is one of the most beautiful in the genus. 



31. ACILEA VENTURA. 



Acrcea venture^ Hewitson, Ent. Month. Mag. xiv. p. 51 (1877). 

 <5 , Lumpi R., Lower Nyika, W. of Lake Nyasa, Feb. 2nd ; 

 $ , Nyankowa Mt., 5575 feet alt., Nyika, April 10th, 1895. 

 " Orange and black Eritillary." 



32. ACRCEA SERENA, var. BUXTONI. 



Acrcea buurtoni, Butler, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. xvi. 

 p. 395 (1875). 



d 1 cJ, Deep Bay, W. coast of Lake Nyasa, Feb. 14th, and 

 Ngerenge Plains, W. coast of Lake Nyasa, Feb. 24th, 1895. 



" Small orange and black Fritillary " (R. C.). 



Whether this is a race or a sectional form of A. serena can only 

 be decided by breeding it ; but with our present extensive series 

 I find it impossible to regard the following as distinct species : 

 A. serena = eponinajanisca = rougetii = manjnca = ~buxtom per- 

 rupta balina. ProbabJy the Linnean name terpsichore should 

 stand over A. serena, but there is so much doubt connected with 

 the identification of that species that the better-known name 

 seems preferable at present. 



33. ACR.EA LYCIA, var. SGANZINT. 



Acrcea syanzini, Boisduval, Faune Madag. p. 34, pi. vi. figs. 6, 7 

 (1833). 



c? , Mrali, W. coast of Lake Nyasa, March 2nd, 1895. 



" Lesser speckled brown and white Fritillary " (R. C.}. 



A. lycia separates roughly into three forms, which are linked 

 together by numerous intergrades ; they are 



1. Acrcea sganzini, vaguely resembling Limnas chrysippus. 



2. Acrcea daira = usac/arce, like 1, but wanting black at apex. 



3. Acrcea lycia braunei, pattern of 1, ground-colour white. 

 Every link between these varieties is now represented in the 



Museum collection. A. daira appears to be an Eastern and 

 Central-African sport of the species, occurring together with the 

 two normal forms ; it is completely linked to the A. sganzini 

 type by iutergrades, and therefore cannot be regarded as a race of 



8* 



ffl 



