A KEY TO THE ASIATIC GENERA OF THE HESPERIID^E, 415 



generic. The Indian species of the genus present three variations in 

 their secondary sexual characters, viz., there is either a tuft on the 

 upperside of the disc of the hindwing (Baoris), or an oblique discal 

 stigma on the upperside of the forewing (Chapra), or, lastly, no 

 secondary sexual character on the wings at all (Parnard). As far as 

 the Indian species are concerned, these three groups can be kept as 

 distinct subgenera, but when we come to African species, it is quite 

 impossible to separate into natural subgenera species without a linear 

 brand and those provided with it ; in Africa also a fourth group occurs, 

 which not only has a brand on the forewing, but also has a tuft on the 

 hindwing, showing that these two characters are closely correlated. 



The genera Pithauria, Baoris, and Hasora will be found below 

 subdivided into subgenera on their secondary sexual characters, but 

 these subdivisions, though useful for purposes of identification, are in 

 many cases quite unnatural ; for instance, Hasora chromus and 

 H. coulteri, are certainly more nearly allied to Parata simplicissima and 

 Pa'rata chromus respectively than to each other or to any other Hasora, 

 However, as the subdivisions of the above three genera have been made, 

 it has been thought advisable to make reference to them, but I have 

 not undertaken the responsibility of giving new names to the subgenera 

 which might be formed in the genera Carcharodus, Hesperia, Aeroma- 

 chus, Zographetus, Padraona, Halpe, Iton, and Ismene^ as the advan- 

 tages to be obtained by so doing would be very slight, and, with the 

 exception of a small section of Ismene, none of the subdivisions have as 

 yet been named by previous writers. 



For detailed descriptions of the genera I must refer readers to my 

 earlier paper already referred to, as in the present paper the genera are 

 compared in the keys only on a single character, that taken being the 

 one most readily recognisable. It must, however, be borne in mind 

 that, though in many cases a male character is taken as distinctive of a 

 genus, this is only done when the male character made use of is found 

 to occur in every described species of the genus, and that the keys could, 

 if necessary, be constructed on the female insect, but that then the 

 characters taken would of necessity not be so readily recognisable. 



The total number of genera dealt with as Asiatic is 90, of which 74 

 have been recorded from within Indian limits, This latter number will 

 probably not be much increased hereafter, but there is no doubt that 



