in VARIABILITY OF SPECIES IN A STATE OF NATURE 45 



Orolina exhibits four distinct varieties, all occurring together, 

 and these differ not only in colour but in form, one variety 

 being described as having the fore wings much elongated in the 

 male, while another is much larger and has "the hind wings in 

 the male different in shape." Of Heliconius Numata Mr. Bates 

 says : " This species is so variable that it is difficult to find two 

 examples exactly alike," while " it varies in structure as well 

 as in colours. The wings are sometimes broader, some- 

 times narrower ; and their edges are simple in some examples 

 and festooned in others." Of another species of the same 

 genus, H. melpomene, ten distinct varieties are described 

 all more or less connected by intermediate forms, and four 

 of these varieties were obtained at one locality, Serpa on 

 the north bank of the Amazon. Ceratina Ninonia is another 

 of these very unstable species exhibiting many local varieties 

 which are, however, incomplete and connected by intermediate 

 forms ; while the several species of the genus Lycorea all 

 vary to such an extent as almost to link them together, so 

 that Mr. Bates thinks they might all fairly be considered as 

 varieties of one species only. 



Turning to the Eastern Hemisphere we have in Papilio 

 Severus a species which exhibits a large amount of simple 

 variation, in the presence or absence of a pale patch on the 

 upper wings, in the brown submarginal marks on the lower 

 wings, in the form and extent of the yellow band, and in 

 the size of the specimens. The most extreme forms, as well 

 as the intermediate ones, are often found in one locality and 

 in company with each other. A small butterfly (Terias hecabe) 

 ranges over the whole of the Indian and Malayan regions to 

 Australia, and everywhere exhibits great variations, many of 

 which have been described as distinct species ; but a gentle- 

 man in Australia bred two of these distinct forms (T. hecabe 

 and T. .ZEsiope), with several intermediates, from one batch of 

 caterpillars found feeding together on the same plant. 1 It is 

 therefore very probable that a considerable number of supposed 

 distinct species are only individual varieties. 



Cases of variation similar to those now adduced among 

 butterflies might be increased indefinitely, but it is as well to 

 note that such important characters as the neuration of the 

 1 Proceedings of the Entomological Society of London, 1875, p. vii. 



