2 L. do Niceville — Butterflies of Hongkong in Southern China. [No. \ 7 



sp., all of which are species found in the Malay Peninsula and are not 

 likely to occur in Hongkong. Bat a much more important list is that 

 by Mr. James J. Walker, R.N , F.L.S., entitled " A Preliminary List 

 of the Butterflies of Hongkong ; based on Observations and Captures 

 made during the Winter and Spring months of 1892 and 1893," 

 published in the Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 

 for 1895, pp. 433-477. In this list 125 species are noted. In the 

 present list I have omitted Ideopsis daos and Amathiisia phidippus for 

 the reason noted above. Moreover, Mr. Walker records what I consider 

 to be five species under two names each, these being 8. Huplosa (Isamia) 

 superba, Herbst, and 9. Euploea (Trepsichrois) midamus, Linnseus. 16. 

 Ypthima hubneri, Kit-by, and 17. Ypthima argus, Butler. 78. Catopsilia 

 catilla, Cramer, and 79. Catopsilia crocale, Cramer. 80. Terias hecabe, 

 Linnseus, and 81. Terias mandarina, de l'Orza. 85. Pieris {HupMna) 

 nereisa, Fabricius, and 86. Pieris (HupMna) pallida, Swinhoe. This 

 reduces Walker's list to 118 species. In the present list 140 species 

 are given, of which 22 marked with an asterisk (*) have not been seen 

 by me. The gain in number of species observed in Hongkong in the 

 six years since Walker wrote is therefore twenty-two. Walker also 

 mentions a specimen of Hestia lynceus, Drury, which he had seen 

 "taken more than twenty years ago on the whai'f at Kowloon — an 

 obvious importation." This species is omitted from his list and also 

 the present one. 



My friend, Mr. E. F. Skertchly, son of Mr. Sydney B. J. Skertchly in 

 collaboration with Mr. Kershaw, proposes to bring out an elaborate work 

 illustrated with coloured plates on the Bhopalocera of Hongkong. A 

 specimen of these plates I have seen chromo-lithographed in Japan, 

 and it is an excellent production. To help in the good work of pub- 

 lishing this volume I have written this paper, as entomological books 

 are scarce in Hongkong, and my assistance has been asked as regards 

 identification of the various species and the necessary synonomy. 

 My share of this work appears in the list below ; the particulars given 

 of the food-plants of the same are closely-allied species occurring in 

 India and elsewhere is a help to the discovery of the transformations 

 of the various species of butterflies in Hongkong itself. A knowledge 

 of the food-plant of any particular butterfly is more than half the battle 

 in discovering its larva. I may note that Messrs. Skertchly and: 

 Kershaw have for the last few years sent me consignments from time to 

 time of Hongkong butterflies for identification ; moreover, I have a 

 superficial knowledge of them from having twice visited the colony for 

 short periods. The butterflies of Hongkong are on the whole remark- 

 ably similar to those of India, not a single genus being found in the 



