544 MR. A. G. BUTLER ON THE [DeC. 4, 



1884, when I published an account of a collection of Butterflies made 

 by Mr. Woodford in the Fiji Islands. At p. 345 of the 'Annals 

 and Magazine of Natural History' (5th series, vol. xiii.), under 

 Hypolimnas pallescens, I state : — " The series collected by Mr. 

 Woodford shows a series of gradations, commencing with the ex- 

 tremely pale form figured in Brenchley's ' Voyage,' through a series 

 of gradually darkening forms near to H. antigone of Batavia, to a 

 smoky brown form in which the markings, excepting the discal series 

 of white spots on tlie primaries, are much obscured ; the general 

 character of H. pallescens, apart from the ground-tint, is never- 

 theless retained throughout the series." 



The fact that the males differ as well as the females has been 

 overlooked, and this can only be accounted for on the supposition that 

 Mr. Mathew did not examine the under surface of the wings, where 

 in many nearly alllied species the best characters are frequently to 

 be discovered ; as will be seen, he states that the males vary " iu no 

 way whatever," whereas I have never found any difficulty in assigning 

 the males to their proper females, by looking to the pattern and 

 colouring of the under surface. 



That two or three forms, differing in both sexes and each showing 

 some slight degree of variation, exist together in each locality is a 

 truth which cannot be questioned, and that these two or three forms 

 may be seasonal types of one species in each locality is possible ; but 

 to associate thirty or forty distinct forms from an area extending 

 from Northern India to Southern AustraHa (because some of the 

 forms from neighbouring islands are nearly allied), as one extremely 

 variable species, is at once to regard " genus " and "species" as 

 synonymous terms. 



It is at any rate pretty clear that only one form, and that distinct 

 from any of those previously received, occurs on Christmas Island. 



LyC^NID/E. 



LyCjEnin^. 



3. Nacaduba aluta. 



Cupido aluta, Druce, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 349. n. 16, pi. 



32. fig. 8. 



Three male examples, taken in the bush, October 1st. This 

 enecies was described from Bornean specimens : the Museum collec- 

 tion contains a series from Malacca. 



Papilionid^. 

 Pterins. 



4. TeRIAS AMPLEXA. 



Terias ample.va, Butler, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1887, p. 523, fig. 5. 



c? . Flying-Fish Cove, October 1st ; 3 S 6, west end of Christmas 

 Island, October 3rd. 



The specimens correspond in every respect with the type previously 

 received. 



