314 MESSRS. GODMAN AND SALVIN ON [May 6, 



5. A List of the Rhopalocera collected by Mr. Gr. French 

 Angas in the Island of Dominica. By F. D. Godman 

 and O. Salvin. 



[Eeceived April 4, 1884.] 

 (Plate XXV.) 



Our knowledge of the Lepidoptera of the West-Indian Islands is 

 very imperfect, and, if we except the island of Cuba, nothing like 

 a systematic attempt has ever heen made to get together the frag- 

 mentary records on this subject which are scattered throughout 

 zoological literature. It is true that lists like the present have been 

 published of collections made in San Domingo and Puerto Rico, but 

 these, for want of more ample materials, fail to give anything like a 

 complete account of the Butterflies and Moths found in either of 

 these islands. 



Enough, however, has been done to show in some measure the 

 character of the Lepidoptera of the Antilles, the chief peculiarities 

 of which lie in the total absence of some of the most characteristic 

 groups of the Neotropical fauna. Of the Nymphalidse, the Danainse 

 are fairly represented so far as the genus Danais is concerned, but 

 the Ithomice are restricted to three or four species in the larger 

 islands. Of Satyrinse there are hardly any (in the present collection 

 none at all !). The Brassolinse are wholly absent, so also are the 

 Morphinse. The Heliconinse are represented by H. charithonia and 

 one or two species of Eueides. The Nymphalinse proper alone in 

 this family maintain the peculiarity of the fauna, and in this sub- 

 family there are a few peculiar genera and several very fine species. 

 Of the Erycinidse, of which there are perhaps a thousand species on the 

 mainland of South America, not a single one has yet heen discovered 

 on any of the Antilles. The Lycasnidse are represented by some 

 common species of Lyccena and a very few species of Thecla. The 

 Pierinse in so poor a fauna are fairly numerous, and amongst them 

 are some peculiar species. The Papilioninse, for the small number 

 of species, are remarkable for their peculiarity and beauty — indeed 

 Papilio homerus of Jamaica is a most marked species even in this 

 wonderful genus. Finally, the Hesperidae, besides including several 

 species of very wide range, also embrace a good many peculiar 

 species, but all of more or less extensive genera. 



The number of species in Mr. Angas's collection is 27, which are 

 distributed amongst the families of lihopalocera as follows : — 



Nymphalidse. 



Danainse 1 



Nymphalinse 7 



Lycsenidae 3 



Papilionidce. 



Pierinse 5 



Papilioninse 1 



Hesperidae 10 



