706 MR. W. L. DISTANT ON AFRICAN LEPIDOPTERA. [Nov. 18, 



hind margin, as in R. harpalyce. Again, there is another variety 

 which differs from R. lakuma in the greater width of the narrow 

 oblique subapical ochreous band, and in the total absence of bluish 

 markings above ; underside agreeing perfectly with that of R. lakuma. 

 This has been recently described by M. Mabille (Bull. Soc. Zool. de 

 France, 1876, p. 2/8) under the name of R. sputiosum. In some 

 specimens of this form there are faint pale violet indications of the 

 blue striae in R. lakuma. 



Mr. Butler, in Lep. Ex. p. 52, writes, R. lakuma "is allied to 

 R. eupalus and R. harpalyce, which have been considered by some 

 lepidopterists to be varieties of the same species ; but I am convinced, 

 from a careful examination of many examples of both sexes of the 

 two forms, that they are perfectly distinct. R. losinga is a third 

 species of the same little group, and R. lakuma will make a 

 fourth." Since this was written, R. wardi and R. spatiosum have 

 been described, which bring the number of described forms of this 

 group to six. 



They seem to be thus differentiated : — 

 Wings generally marked with blue above. 



Apex of fore wings without or with very obscure yellow band. 



White markings on underside faint and obscure B. harpalyce. 



White markings on underside very distinct B. ewpahts. 



Apex of fore wings crossed with yellow band B. lakuma. 



Wings without or with faint blue markings above. 

 Apex of fore wings crossed with yellow band. 



White markings on underside very distinct {„ iosn! fff- 



° J [B. wardi. 



White markings on underside faint and obscure B. spatiosum. 



Having examined the large number of duplicates that were in the 

 possession of Mr. Horniman, and finding the above characters very 

 inconstant, I much more incline to the opinion that we are dealing 

 with the varietal forms of a protean species. The remarks of 

 Smeatham, communicated to Drury, as to his own personal obser- 

 vations, may well be reproduced: — "There are several Papiliones 

 nearly of this colour, that is to say, with the upperside of the wings 

 having a changeable purple, and the undersides being inclinable to 

 green, &c. The differences between them arise so gradually that I 

 think them varieties of the same species, some, apparently very dif- 

 ferent, being found coupled together." Much of the same kind of 

 variation may also be seen in Euryphene phantasia, Hew., from the 

 same region. 



RoMALEOSOMA INANTJM, Butl. Cist. Ent. i. p. 158 (1873). 



Three specimens of this form were in the collection. The first 

 perfectly agrees with the description ; the second is without the black 

 spot in cell of hind wings ; and the third specimen has the sub- 

 marginal row and other spots beneath as in R. ceres, Fab. 



Harm a lucasii, Doum. (Ny?nphalis) Rev. Zool. 1859, p. 262, 

 t. x. f. 2, $ 6" • (Plate LIV. fig. 2.) 



I am glad to be able for the first time to describe the male of 



