140 Mr. A. G. Butler on Lepidoptera 



fourteen examples of V. c-albvm from Zellcr's collection 

 before me, and although they exhibit all the usual varieties of 

 that species, not one of them at all nearly approaches V. agni- 

 ciila ; the Indian insect indeed far more nearly resembles 

 V. havngera of Japan, but has a broader external border on 

 the up])er surface of primaries, smaller submarglnal spots on 

 the secondaiies, greyer and darker under surface, and a num- 

 ber of little differences (quite constant) in the details of 

 pattern on the same surface. Dr. Staudinger and others 

 would doubtless regard both the Indian and Japanese forms 

 as varieties of V. c-alhum (this they do in the case of the 

 North- American forms, although the larvee have been carefully 

 figured in all stages and shown to be wholly unlike that of 

 the European species) ! but to attempt to follow them would 

 involve sinking not only the whole of the species of the 

 imaginary genus Gropta^ but nearly the whole of the more 

 typical Vonessce, since every form from V. tnterrogatt'oms to 

 V. {eantJioiuelas (if not to V. ichnusa) has about equal specific 

 value. Our species are arranged as follows, and form a pretty 

 complete gradation from one type to the other: — 



1. Vanessa interrogatioms, Fab. (10 examples). N. 



America. 

 Var. Fahricii^ Edw. (9 examples). N. America. 



2. V. comma, Harr. (9 examples). N. America. 



3. V. gracilis, Gr. & Rob. (2 examples). N. America. 



4. V.faunus, Edw. (9 examples). N. America. 



5. V. silenus, Edw. (1 example). N. America. 



6. V. zephyrus, Edw. (2 examples). N. America. 



7. V. satyrusy Edw. (12 examples). N. America. 



8. V. ]jrogne,C\^\n. (10 examples). N.America. 



9. V. c-albuij/y Linn. (14 examples). Europe. 



10. V. hamigera, Butl. (5 examples). Japan. 



11. V. agnicida, Moore (3 examples now). N.W. India. 



12. V. Fentoni, Butl. (1 example). Japan. 



13. V. egea, Cram. (13 examples). Europe. 



14. V. Pryeri, Janson (6 examples). Japan. 



15. V. c-aureum, Linn. (11 examples). Japan, China, 



&c. 



16. V. i-albinn, Boisd. (5 examples). N. America. 



17. V. v-album, Schiff. (10 examples). Europe. 



18. V. californica, Boisd. (8 examples). California. 



19. F.^o/?/cA?oros, Linn. (10 examples). Europe. 



20. V. xanthomelaSj iSchiff. (11 examples). Europe and 



Japan. 



21. F., var. ? (3 examples). India and Japan, 



