228 W. F. KIRBY, F.E.S. 
however, extends eastwards almost to the highlands of 
Abyssinia; and some years ago a traveller brought back a 
large collection of butterflies from the Bahr el Ghazal which 
contained nothing but well-known West African species and 
a small admixture of Abyssinian forms. Unfortunately, he 
had fallen into the usual error which besets all collectors 
except those of considerable scientific knowledge and ex- 
perience, and had limited himself to collecting only the 
largest and handsomest species. His collection was of great 
interest as showing the range of the West African Fauna, but 
if he had collected smaller and less conspicuous species as 
well, not only its scientific but even its money value would 
have been tenfold greater. 
Among the most characteristic forms of Nymphalide which 
predominate on the West Coast we may mention the genera 
Huphedra, Cymothoe, and Aterica. Charaxes is also very richly 
represented, though this genus is not exclusively African. 
The Indian forms, however, represent different sections to 
those of Africa. A single species, Charaxes Jasius, is one of 
the few insects belonging to typical African forms which have 
reached the Palearctic Region. It is not a native of tropical 
Africa, but is found in most of the countries bordering on the 
Mediterranean Sea, where its caterpillar feeds on the arbutus. 
It is most nearly allied to an Abyssinian species, U. Hpijasius, 
and may possibly have originally reached the Mediterranean 
from that country. 
Hamanumida Dedalus is a very characteristic African 
Nymphalide. It is brownish grey with white black-edged 
spots, and its colouring has been compared to that of the 
Guinea fowl. The shade of the under-surface is said to vary 
according to the character of the soil in the localities where 
the butterfly is found. 
The sub-family <Acrewine is peculiarly characteristic of 
Africa, though a few species are met with in India, Australia, 
&c., and South America. These are long-winged butterflies, 
generally reddish or semi-transparent and spotted with black. 
Among the most remarkable species of Papilio which inhabit 
the West Coast of Africa are two which much resemble species 
of Acreea, both in form and colour. One of these is P. Rid- 
leyanus, whick is very like Acrceea Hgina, and the other is the 
famous P. Antimachus, which is eight or nine inches in expanse 
of wing, and much larger than any known Acrca, or indeed 
than any other butterfly found in Africa. Although figured 
by Drury as long ago as 1782 from a specimen which is now in 
Austraha, no second individual was obtained till 1864. This 
butterfly, though still rare, has since been obtained at inter- 
