114 BK, A. G. BUTLEE ON BUTTEHFLIES [Jan. 14, 



No two examples of this species are absolutely alike, and thus 

 the unfortunate creature has received the following names since 

 Mr. iSodman first made it known : — M. Oberthiir calls it A. pro- 

 teina, Jlavescens, semifulvescens, fulvescens, and semialbescens ; U err 

 Eogenhofer calls it A. tehhiana, cmfusa, and fallax ; and llerr 

 Karseh denominates it A. octohalia : the species thus has ten 

 names; it divides itself very vaguely into four varieties, as 

 follows : — 



1. A.johnstoni,m which the sexes differ greatly; the typical 

 male is described bv M. Oberthiir as A. semifulvescens, and the 

 typical female as A. proteina. 



2. A. fulvescens, Oberlh. = ^. telekiana, Ilghfr. 



3. A. semialhescens, Oberth. 



4. A.flavescens (if a ina.\a)=A. Idlimimdjara, Oberth. = -4. confusa 

 and A. fallax, lighfr., and A. oHobalia, Karseh. 



In the last-mentioned fonn belli sexes have adopfed the female 

 dress ; but the male sometimes has the spots on the primaries 

 yellowish. 



Acrcea is a very variable genus, and it has been the custom of 

 lepidopterists to regard all the diiferent phases of each species as 

 distinct ; the genus, when properly studied, reduces itself to about 

 u third of its supposed magnitude. The triangular black ajiical 

 patch, which has been made to serve as a specific charactisr in 

 several instances, is of no value whatever, l)eing a purely indi- 

 vidual characteristic dependent on presence or absence of moisture. 



28. AcrjEa cabiea. 



Acrcea cahira, Hopffer, Eer. Verb. Akad. Berlin, 1855, p. 640 ; 

 Peters' Eeise n. Mossamb. p. 378, pi. 23. figs. 14, 15 (1862). 



cJ <S , Chifumya, Lower Nyika, 20th April ; $ , Munchewi E., 

 Lower Nyika, April 8th, 1895. 



" Yellow and black I'ritillary. $ full of orange-coloured ova " 

 (_ll. C). 



29. AcniEi TiNiDiA. 



Acrna vinidia, Hewitson, Eut. Month. Mag. xi. p. 130 (1874); 

 Esot. Butt. v. Acr. pi. 7. figs. 45, 46 (1875). 



Var. Acrcna aeerata, Hewitson, Ann. & Mug. Nat. Tlist. s^r. 4, 

 vol.xiii. p. 381 (1874) ; Exot. Butt. v. Acr. pi. 7. fig. 44 (1875). 



Albino: Aaxea tenella, Eogenhofer, Ann. Ilof. Mus. Wien 

 (1891). 



Aerma abbotii, Holland, Entomologist, Suppl. xxv. (1892). 



2 , Ngerenge, W. coast of Lake Nyasa, Feb. 27th, 1895. 



" Pale orange and black Fritillary " (It. C), 



This species, like most of the Acrcea, is very variable, and 

 especially in the female sex ; the present example is straw-yellow, 

 with the normal black border, subajiical bar, and basal marking ; 

 it may therefore stand as the female of the albino form A. tenella, 

 a male example of which we have from Kilima-njaro. 



