1902.] L. de Nict'ville — Butterflies of Hongkong in Southern China. 3 



island or on the adjoining mainland, which does not occur in India, 

 while about ninety per cent, of the species are identical or extremely 

 closely allied, the " local variation " being remarkably slight. This is 

 perhaps not so much to be wondered at, as there is continuous land 

 connection between India and Hongkong save the narrow strait about 

 a mile wide which separates Kowloon or the mainland frori the 

 island. Moreover, Hongkong is on the same parallel of latitude as 

 Calcutta, and has a very similar climate, though it is on the whole 

 slightly cooler. The most interesting butterfly mentioned is, I think, 

 Danais {Anosid) erippus menippe, Hiibner, the well-known *' Wanderer," 

 a pair of which was taken in Hongkong in August last. This butterfly 

 continues to extend its range, but has not as far as I know been yet 

 obtained on the mainland of Asia, though it has spread from its original 

 home in North America to Europe on the east, and right round through 

 the Pacific Islands, Australia, and the Malayan Archipelago to the 

 Straits of Malacca.* 



Family NYMPHALID^, 



Sub-family Danainj:. 



1. Danais {Uadena), similis, Linnaeus. 



Papilio similis, Linnaeus, Mus. Ulr., p. 299, n. 117 (1764) ; Badena similis, Moore 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1883, p. 223, n. 1 ; Lep. Ind., vol. i, p. 28 (1890) ; Fruhs 

 torfer, Berl. Ent. Zeitsch., vol. xliv, p. 79 (1899) ; Danais (Badena) similis, Walker 

 Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., p. 445, n. 5 ; Danais similis, var. chinensis, Felder, Verb, 

 zool.-bot. Gesellsch. Wien, vol. xii, n. 148 (1862) ; Papilio aventina, Cramer, Pap, 

 Ex., vol. i, p. 92, pi. lix, fig. F (1775). 



The larva of the subgenus Radena has two pairs only of fleshy 

 filaments. Though species of Radena occur in Ceylon, Burma and tiie 

 Nicobar Isles within Indian limits, the larva and its food-plant has 

 escaped detection. 



2. Danais (Tirumala) limniace, Cramer. 



Papilio limniace, Cramer, Pap. Ex., vol. i, p. 92, pi. lix, figs. D, E, male (1775) ; 

 Tirumala limniace, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1883, p. 230, n. 2 ; Lep. Ind., 

 vol. i, p. 33 (1890); Fruhstorfer, Berl. Ent. Zeitsch., vol. xliv, p. 115; Danais 

 (Tirumala) limniace, Walker, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1895, p. 445, n. 3. 



The larva of Tirumala, like that of Radena, has two pairs only 

 of fleshy filaments. It has been recorded in India to feed on many 

 plants of the Natural Order Asclepiadeas, such as Galotropis, Asclepias, 

 Marsdenia, Dregea and Hoy a. 



* Vide de Niceville, Jonrnal A. S. B,, vol, Ixiv, pt. 2, pp, 366-367 (1895). 



