J 901.] L. de Niceville — Butterflies of the subgenus Tronga. 17 



of Euploea, as speaking generally I think ifc may be treated as an axiom 

 that no two really distinct species of one subgenus will be found to 

 inhabit one limited area. If would-be describers of Euploeas and several 

 other genera would bear this in mind in future, we would be saved 

 many of the synonyms of the past which burden our butterfly literature 

 and give endless trouble in trying to unravel them. I may note here 

 that I wholly dissent from the opinions held by Colonel 0. Swinhoe as 

 expressed in Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1893, p. 270, that varietal forms of 

 well-known species should be named. It may be arguable that 

 " vaiieties " may perhaps be described and named for the sake of con- 

 venience, though I consider it to be very inexpedient to do so, especially 

 in certain groups of Euploeas in which it is almost impossible to find 

 two specimens marked exactly alike, and to be logical every specimen 

 should have a name and thus reduce scientific nomenclature to an absur- 

 dity; but what I especially deprecate is calling these obvious varieties 

 " new species," which they certainly are not. However, the late Capt. 

 E. Y. Watson in Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc, vol. x, pp. 639-640 

 (1897) has already very clearly pointed out the untenable position 

 taken up by Col. Swinhoe in this matter, so I will not further attempt 

 to " kill the slain." 



To prove my thesis I will give some lists of subgenera of Euploea 

 which 1 think will help to substantiate my case. These lists are not 

 exhaustive and may perhaps contain some slight inaccuracies, but they 

 aie I believe in the main correct, and may prove perhaps to be some 

 help to others in working at this great group. The names placed in 

 brackets are in my opinion synonyms. The order of subgenera is that 

 followed in Dr. Moore's monograph of the Euploema published in 1883. 

 It would have been better to have given two lists, one of localities the 

 other of species, but this would iiave taken up too much time and space, 

 so I have adopted the second course ; the first can with a little trouble be 

 evolved from it. 



Menama, Moore. 



Lower Burma, modesta, Butler {cupreipennis, Moore, tavoyana, 

 Malay Peninsula, modesta^ Butler. [Moore). 



Siam, camaralzeman, Butler. 



,, modesta, Butler. 

 Nicobar Isles, simulatrix, Wood-Mason and de Niceville. 

 Sumatra, moorei, Butler. 

 ,, huxtoni, Moore. 



Borneo, lorzas, Moore. 

 J. II. 3 



