66 



much produced ; on the underside of both wings the markings, and 

 especially the ocelli, are obsolete. 



In many parts of the Indian region, where the wet and dry seasons 

 are not very distinctly marked, only the ocellate form asterie is 

 found ; this is the case both in the Malayan Peninsula and in 

 Ceylon, from which island I exhibit three specimens, which I ob- 

 tained from the Colonial Exhibition of 1883. 



It is not known to be the case in any part of the Indian region 

 that the dry season form only occurs, but I have received that form 

 from Graham's Town, South Africa, where it has probably been in- 

 troduced, and it will be interesting to ascertain whether in that much 

 dryer district the aimana form only will be perpetuated ; on this 

 subject I have written to Mr. Roland Trimen for information. 



The other illustration of this differentiation is taken from another 

 of the sub-families of the Nymphalidee, the Satyrinae. I exhibit 

 specimens of the wet season form of the species Melanitis isniene, 

 Cram., and the dry season form of the same, Mela^iitis leda ; the 

 specimens of each form from Ceylon show that, though the preceding 

 species of Junonia was not differentiated in that island seasonally, 

 yet this species of Melanitis most decidedly is so. It will be seen 

 at a glance that the wet season ocellate and feebly angulated form 

 differs from the non-ocellate and angulated form precisely in the 

 same manner as that found to obtain in the Juno7iia belonging to 

 the Nymphalinae. 



The specimens from Hong Kong of each form, also exhibited, 

 vary in precisely the same manner as ihe. Jimo?iia. The late Bishop 

 Smith, of Victoria, Hong Kong, most kindly gave me the insects, 

 which he stated were taken in his garden ; so that the common 

 origin of both forms of the Junonia and Mdmiitis is well assured so 

 far as that locaUty is concerned. 



That the two forms of Melanitis under consideration are seasonal 

 varieties, or, as I term it, horseomorphic of one species, has been set 

 at rest by direct experiment. Mr. W. Doherty, the distinguished 

 American naturalist, writes in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of 

 Bengal, vol. Iviii., part ii., No. i, 1889, that he succeeded in the 

 early part of the dry season, in the island of Sumbawa, in breeding 

 both Melanitis leda and M. ismene, from the eggs of M. leda, by 

 keeping a wet sponge in the box in which the form M. leda was 

 reared from the larvae. 



With regard to the colour of the undersides, the wet season form 

 of Junonia {asterie) is invariably very much lighter than the dry 

 season form {aimana). In the case of the Melanitis the colour of 

 the undersides varies very much, the species being both African and 

 Indian ; but I am disposed, upon the whole, to think that the ocel- 

 late form M. leda is, as a rule, generally greyish, and the non-ocellate 

 dry season form M. isjnene is brown, often of a rich chocolate' colour. 

 Still, I have seen the latter form greyish ; but so far as my own 

 observation goes, it never has those minute delicate strigse which,, so 



