1 907.] BUTTERFLIES OF THE FAMILY LYC^NIDiE, 507 



become fused and support the claws as found in the female), but 

 at the same time they divided the genus into a number of sections. 

 Many of these sections can be denoted by authors' existing names 

 if thought fit by entomologists. Various views regarding the im- 

 portance or otherwise of the brands continue to be put forward ; 

 and Dr. Hy. Skinner, Ent. News, April 1907, p. 131, in a 

 paper intending to prove that the jST. American T. irus and 

 T. henrici are one species, states that " the male is often with 

 or without the brand, which has no generic or specific value." 



Before any satisfactory division into genei-a can be undertaken, 

 it will be necessaiy to dissect and examine a large amount of 

 material which at present is not available, many of the types 

 being unique and large numbers of the species being represented 

 in collections by but two or three examples. 



In the present paper I have been able to clear up many points 

 of synonymy, and have described and figui-ed a large number of 

 new forms. It will be noticed that some few of Hewitson's 

 species are placed as synonyms of species previously described by 

 him, and this can be accounted for by the fact that the types 

 were from other collections and were returned to their owners, 

 and that the insects seen by him later were not recognised as 

 being already described. 



I have examined a large number of the types, many of which 

 are contained in the British Museum, and Mr. Godman has 

 placed the whole of his collection in my hands for examination. 

 This fine collection has been of the greatest help, in fact quite 

 essential, containing as it does many of Hewitson's types, then 

 in Bates's possession, in addition to the unrivalled series from 

 Central America. 



Ml-. Grose Smith, who now has some of Hewitson's types 

 described from the Saunders collection, has kindly allowed me 

 to borrow the specimens for comparison. 



Mr. Dukinfield Jones, who collected at Castro, Brazil, and 

 some of whose captures were described by Mr. W. Schaus, has 

 also kindly permitted me to examine these and has lent me 

 others for descinption. 



It is a fact worth noting that out of the large number of 

 species described by Hewitson, only some 35 (nearly all the types 

 of which are in the British Museum) are not represented in the 

 various private collections I have examined. 



The following species are included in the genus " Thecla " by 

 Mr. Kirby in his Catalogue, but their identity is obscure. The 

 numbers refer to his list : — 



84 a. Hesperia chiton Fab. Described as with three tails. 

 Donovan's figure shows it .with two and a lobe. In my 

 opinion without doubt = T. phaleros L., 5 , highly 

 coloured. Dr. Butler, in his ' Catalogue of Fabrician 

 Lepidoptera,' p. 198, thinks not. The type appears to 

 be lost. 



