doris. 
methar- 
mina. 
obscura. 
tecta. 
viridis. 
delila. 
eratonius. 
transiens. 
amathusia. 
aristomache. 
hieraw. 
olytia. 
flavescens 
wallacet 
390 HELICONIUS. By Dr. A. Serrz. 
totally obscured. Neglecting these latter melanisms, the forewing nearly always shows a tapering, discal 
band of bone-colour, and a smaller subapical streak composed of dull yellowish-white dashes. The oldest 
described form is doris L. (= quirina Cr., erato Salv. and Godm.) (77 b). The discal band of the forewing ends 
clean at the lower median nervule. In the hindwing the cell is filled with blue, sending out very short blue 
rays which hardly reach the middle of the wing; before the termen a more of less extended row of white dots. 
— In ab. metharmina Stgr. (= doris nigra Stgr.) (77 ¢) the basal blue of the hindwing has disappeared, gi- 
ving it a likeness to metharme (76f) and, less superficially, also to the forms of the rhea- and sara-groups. 
Also the forewings may be obscured with black, both in the red and the blue forms. If quite black, or at the 
most only adorned by a few subapical dots, we have ab. obscura Weym. (77 ¢); if the discal spot is still 
distinct, being only dusted over with black, we have tecta Riff. (77 c¢). doris is, together with its subforms, 
distributed over the entire northern part South of America, but does not go farther south than North-Brazil and in 
the West to Peru and Bolivia. In Colombia and Ecuador it is replaced by various local forms, but it must be 
said that the mentioned aberrations are not confined to the main form, but may occur also in all the sub- 
forms. Thus the figured ab. obscurais a melanism of the Colombian eratonia; tecta (77 c) a dark form of aristo- 
mache. — Regarding first the green forms, we have one, with yellow-green rays on the hindwing, known for 
a long time as doris viridis Stgr. (77 c); from this RrrrartH has separated the form lwminosus, distinguished by 
the rays having the points “whitish”. Equally unnecessary was the separation by SticHEL of “wiridana’, with 
deep green instead of yellow-or blue-green base of the hindwings. If we would consider all such, often purely 
individual deviations, we could have at least 50 names for the forms of doris alone; one would have to separate 
above ali the “‘blue-green forms” from the ‘‘yellow-green”’, of which STAUDINGER gave us a figure. There are 
specimens of viridis which have the tips of the green rays very feebly yellow, and others having the entire inner 
half of the cell scaled with yellow. On the forewing the yellow median streak may be entirely or almost absent, 
the terminal dots of the hindwing may vary in number and intensity, and all this may be the case in the green 
as well as the blue and red forms. — Therefore we mention only the named forms with short characteristic 
notes: Besides the green forms there are also red ones: delila Hin. (= erato Cl. nec L., doris Blanch., mars Stgr.) 
(77.¢), from Guayana throughout northern Brazil as far as Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia; forewings with a 
short blunt semi-band and, like the hindwing, with heavy red basal rays. — eratonius Stgr. (= erato Bilr.) 
(77d). Ranges from Central America to Venezuela and Colombia. On the hindwings the red basal rays reach 
within 4—5 mm. to the termen; — transiens Stgr. (77 d) very closely resembles eratonius, but the rays are shorter, 
separated by black, not reddish veins as in the preceding. This is the most northerly form, ranging from 
Colombia to Mexico, and altogether one of the most northerly Heliconius. — amathusia Cr. (= crenis Hbn.), 
a most striking form, having on the hindwing the red rays partly suffused and edged with blue; also their 
terminal continuation is blue. Ecuador; taken by Hamnscu at an elevation of about 2000 ft.; mentioned also 
from elsewhere, but apparently nowhere common. — aristomache Riff. (— doris Weym.) (77d), ranging 
from southern Central America southward to Ecuador, is much more blue than typical doris. Like the colour of 
the hindwing, thus also the bone-yellow discal band of the forewing may vary, from being very broad, to being 
obscured to such an extent that it disappears almost completely. The material before me shows such a degree 
of variation in this that among over 40 specimens I can hardly find two that are alike. For that reason it 
is a mistake to separate the narrow-banded blue specimens passing in commerce as doris, under the name 
of “caeruleata”’ Stich., simply because the width of the band does not coincide with that of Lryni’s type. 
To base new forms on the difference in the width or shape of the bone-yellow discal band would, if applied 
to the forms already established, add at least 100 further names. — Nearly all the forms of doris are, whe- 
reever they occur, exceedingly common; flying throughout the year, they are in the dry period when but few 
Lepidoptera are seen, beside the Catopsilia frequently the only striking butterflies enlivening Nature by their 
numerous appearance. 
H. hierax Hew. (77 d) from Ecuador resembles transiens, one of the red doris-forms, but has the yellow 
discal band steeper and, like the apical spots, differently arranged than in doris; the basal half of the hind- 
wings is also purplish-brown, but of a clearer tone, and irregularly bounded by the: darker outer half, but 
not drawn out into ray-like streaks. 
H. clytia Cr. (= antiocha Hbst.). Upper surface deep black, largely suffused with an intense blue irides- 
cence. Hindwings without any markings, forewings with two bands, one oblique through the middle, the other 
narrow, often partially obsolescent, before the apex. Typical specimens have these bands white. From Guayana- 
through Amazonas to Peru. — flavescens Weym. (= clytia Sigr., sara Godt.) (77 d) has the bands brillant pale 
yellow; likewise from Guayana, North-Brazil and Peru. — In wallacei Reak. (77 e) the oblique discal spot is 
contracted into a band, the subapical fascia relatively broad; from the very similar sprucei etc. it may be 
distinguished _by having on the under surface of the hindwings a red costal stripe and pale radiating subter- 
