1898.] ON LEPIDOPTBKA FEOM BRITISH BAST AFRICA. 395 



2. On a Collection of Lepidoptera made in British East Africa 

 by Mr. C. S. Betton. By Arthur G. Butler, Ph.D., 

 F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c.. Senior Assistant- Keeper, Zoological 

 Department, British Museum. 



[Received April 21, 1898.] 



(Plates XXXIl. & XXXIII.) 



Mr. Betton's collection is a singulai'ly interesting one, rich in 

 rare and new species, tbree Butterflies and twenty-six Moths from 

 the present series being now described for the first time. Among 

 the Butterflies also I may call attention to a suite of Acrcea chilo, 

 females of A. crystallina, the wet-season forms of both Teracolus 

 hetcera and T. puniceus, the dry form of T. leo, a number of 

 examples of T. venata, and an example of the rare Alcena picata, a 

 species new to the Museum collection. 



Although Mr. Betton desired to retain a collection for his private 

 use, yet he sanctioned the whole of the types of new species, and 

 examples of all species needed to perfect the JNational collection, 

 being retained. Among the Heterocerous Lepidoptera, many of 

 which were only represented by single specimens, he has thus 

 suffered somewhat severely in the interests of science ; but in the 

 Butterflies there was considerably less required in proportion to 

 the numbers collected. 



Mr. Betton's line of march extended from Mombasa in a north- 

 westerly direction by way of Samburu, Taru, Voi, and Ndi to Tsavo ' . 

 He has furnished the following notes on the weather prevailing at 

 certain dates between March 1896 and August 1897, during which 

 time his collection was made : — 



1896. 



March lst-20th. Shght rain. 



May 1st, " greater " rains commence ; May llth-13th, heavy and 



continuous rain ; May 13th to end of month, slight rain. 

 June 21st-27th. Shght rain. 

 October 24th. Eains (" lesser ") commence. 

 J^ovember lst-15th. Heavy and continuous rains : rain nearly 

 every day to eud of month. 



December. Showers nearly all the month. 



1897. 

 February 18th-20th. Storms. 

 March 3rd, 4th, and 18th. Storms. 

 April 3rd and 4th. Storms. 

 April 14th-22nd. Slight rains. 

 May 16th-23rd. Slight rains. 

 July 8th and 9th. Heavy showers. 

 August 10th to 22nd. Slight rains occasionally. 



' See for map the Parliamentary Report on the Mombasa- Victoria Railway, 

 1898— Africa no. 8. 



