OF THE AMAZON VALLEY. 541 



am inclined to think that all three ai-e modifications of one and the same species. They 

 may have arisen in separate localities, and have heen afterwards brought by altered 

 distribution into contact ; but it is not necessary to suppose this, as the Ithomice always 

 pair with their exact counterparts, so that separation is probably not requisite to aid the 

 segregation of races, when the variations have once arisen. 



The flocks of Butterflies, all of the same colour, and undistinguishable from one another 

 when on the wing, which fly together in the same dry hollows of the forest at Eonte Boa, 

 comprise, besides the three preceding species, also a fourth Ithomia {I. JElia, belonging 

 to a different section of the genus) and Napeogenes Br cilia. A Leptalis (PI. LV. 

 fig. 6), coloured in the same way, occurs in company with I. BUnissa, at Ega; and 

 an Ithomels* {I. aurantiaca, belonging to the widely different family Erycinidce) flies 



* Ithomeis, nov. gen. (Family Erycinid^). 



Allied to Lymnas and Pheles. Facies of Ithomia, having similar elongated fore wings and whitish spots near the 

 apex, imitating the transparent ones usual in the species of that genus. 



Head clothed with even, soft hair-scales : palpi extremely short, thick, thinly and smoothly clad with scales. 

 Antenna moderately slender, elongate, not pale-ringed ; thickened towards the apex into an elongate, slender, com- 

 pressed club. Fore wing elongate, apex more or less rounded : subcostal and median nervures straight ; the former two- 

 branched, emitting its first branch just before, its second much beyond, the end of the cell : upper disco-cellular very 

 short ; middle disco-cellular much longer, transverse ; lower disco-cellular slanting outwards, nearly perfectly tubular, 

 joining the median beyond its second branch. Hind wing suboval ; upper radial appearing as a continuation of the 

 subcostal, the terminal part of the subcostal placed as a branch of it ; middle disco-cellular short, transverse ; lower 

 disco-cellular in the same relative position as in the fore wing. Legs thinly clad with scales, stout ; fore legs of the <S 

 densely hairy ; fore legs of the 2 long, thinly clad, claw-joint very large, oblong-oval, claws minute. 



In the shape and clothing of the head, palpi, and antennae, this genus is extremely similar to Lymnas, Pheles, 

 Zeonia, Themone, and the allied genera. Its nearest relationship is with Pheles, from which it differs in the second 

 subcostal branch of the fore wing being emitted after, instead of before, the end of the cell. The species of Pheles 

 have somewhat the aspect of Ithomia: and Stalachtes, but those of Ithomeis have a much closer resemblance to those 

 genera. 



1. ItHOMEIS AURANTIACA, n. Sp. 



cj . Expanse 1" 9'". Fore wing : above, black ; a long triangular spot at the base of the cell, a smaller one just 

 after the cell, a rounded one between the 1st and 2nd median branches, and a belt of three similar spots across the 

 wing, between the radials and the 2nd and 3rd median branches, whitish ; the costal margin at the base, a large spot 

 between the median and postmedian nervures, and a narrow, somewhat regular, submarginal band beginning on the 

 COSta, running parallel to the outer margin, arched, and reaching the hind margin, orange. Beneath, the same. 



Ring wing : above, orange, the whole margin narrowly, and a large triangular spot on the basal part of the disk, 

 black. Beneath, the same, except that there are two white spots at the base of the wing. 



Antennae black. Body black ; forehead silvery white ; abdomen beneath orange. 



Found at Cai^ara, between Ega and Fonte Boa, in company with Ithomia jElia, which it very much resembled on 

 the wing. 



2. Ithomeis Stalachtina, n. sp. 



tj. Expanse I" 8'". Fore wing : above, black ; the costal and hind margins near the base slightly tinged with 

 tawny orange ; a long stripe within the base, a speck beyond the cell, a spot between the 1st and 2nd median branches, 

 and a short macular crossbelt, placed rather more than halfway between the cell and the apex, white. Beneath, the 

 same, except that the tawny-orange marks near the base appear as distinct stripes, and that there is a short, narrow, 

 obscure tawny belt parallel to the outer margin. 



Hind wing : above, black ; a broad tawny-orange stripe begins at the base, runs along the abdominal margin, 

 bending before reaching the anal angle, and continues thence to the apex ; there is also a dull tawny-orange spot in the 

 middle of the costal margin. Beneath, the same, except that there are two white spots at the base. 



Body and antenna black ; forehead silvery white ; abdomen beneath orange. 



