344 MORPHO. By H. Fbithstorfer. 



the Pacific coast, so that Godmait and SAr,^^;N in 1881 still treated them as separate species. In order to 

 explain the present heterogeneous mixture of races these authors advanced the theory that the Isthmus 

 of Panama was originally inhabited by two species of Morpho, of which certain forms of hyacinthus Btlr. in- 

 habited the islands which occupied the position of the present Panama and Costa Rica, the older species, 

 which they considered to be pehides Koll., being only indigenous to Colombia, and further that no Morpho 

 at that time occured in Guatemala and Mexico. But after geological revolutions had produced the present 

 union of the land, peleides was enabled to push its way along the isthmus, passing hyacinthus in Costa Rica, 

 and occupying the rest of Central America, Yucatan and Southern Mexico. Those forms which were deve- 

 loped on the Pacific coast of Guatemala were most modified and became octama, while the rest only differed 

 slightly from their Colombian ancestors. According to our present knowledge such a complicated explanation 

 is no longer needed; the JMorphids in question are simply local and individual variations, such as we meet 

 ■ndth, but modified to an even greater degree, among the members of other families (Papilionids, Euthaliids), 

 particularly in Asia, peleides is undoubtedly a near relation of achilles and probably its northern form, as 

 GoDMAN and SAL^^If assumed, and in Colombia peleides starts where achilles disappears, as it only inhabits 

 the western part of the comitry from Bogota to the Pacific coast, whilst achilles sto^s, before the East Cordilleras. 

 peleides agrees "with achilles in habits, as it also frequents the underwood, unlike its sxm-loving congeners M. 

 cypris and theseus. The individual forms approach achilles above in bearing a broad black-brown basal area 

 (limpida, 67 a) or approximate more to achillaena in the absence of basal darkening {octavia, 69 a). Yet be- 

 tween the two main forms all imaginable transitions occur; thus the basal area may also have a light blue or 

 a dark steel-blue reflection as in peleus Rob. Extremely variable also are the submarginal wlrite spots and 

 costal patches of the forewing, of which two or three more or less prominent rows may be present, accom- 

 panied by transcellular median wliite dots, but likewdse quite irregular. Only in the $$ is this median orna- 

 mentation always present and in them the brown distal border on the forewing is sometimes widened nearly 

 to the cell. The $$ as a rule have the upper surface of the hindwing light glossy blue throughout, but there 

 occur also 5-forms with almost entirely brown upper surface, on wliich only the rudiments of a median band, 

 in this case dark blue, are present. The colouring of the imder surface also varies, apparently quite without 

 system, the races from Colombia and Mexico being the deepest black-brown beneath, while between them in 

 Central America occur the examples which are strongly banded ^vith whitish in the distal part, especially 

 on the forewing. One character, however, remains constant through all the forms; this is the nose-shaped 

 distal projection of the whitish grey median line on the underside of the hindwing, which forms an acute angle 

 between the anterior and the tlu-ee posterior ocelli and is never interrupted at tliis place, whereas in achillaom, 

 races the median band may be broken up or continuous witliin the limits of the same geographical race. Clasp- 

 ing organs very close to those of M. achilles; valve distally more distinctly dentate, but appreciably more 

 narrowly, the dorsal pad, however, already reduced. Ventral process of the uncus as weak as in achilles. Penis 

 montezuma. armed with longer and more pointed teeth than in achilles and achillaena. — montezutna Gum. is the most 

 northerly and the smallest race and at the same time the njost easily distinguished on accomit of the rounded 

 forendng, which is surrounded by a relatively broad deep black distal border containing only one row of pure 

 white punctiform spots, of the size of a pin's head. The distal border sends out fine black points along the 

 veins. Under surface predominantly red-brown with strikingly small ocelli and reddish yellow anteterminal 

 bands on both wings and a reddish yellow shade beyond the cell on the foremng; $$ are apparently rare; 

 they are wanting in my collection. Godiian and Sal\t:n give Yucatan as locality. — Through the firm of 

 zela. Bang-Haas I recently received an interesting local or seasonal, perhaps mountain form, zela subsp. nov., 

 of distinct montezumi character in its rounded forewing and with still more pronounced, dull vinous bands 

 on the under surface, and noteworthy above for having the black distal border of the forewing only a few mm. 

 in breadth, very little ornamented with white, and proximally sending out no black teeth along the veins. 

 octavia. A more exact locaUty than Mexico could not be ascertained. — ■ octavia Bates (69 a) must be considered 

 one of the most remarkable and most easily recognized Morphids on accomit of its delicate Light blue but 

 uncommonly glossy reflection and the extended whitish brown bordering of the -n-ings. The $ is even 

 paler than the (J and in both sexes the eye-spots of the under surface show through distinctly. Under 

 surface basally light cocoa-brown, the distal area light havanna-brown with sUght violet sheen, whitish 

 bands and flesh-coloured anteterminal spots. Ocelli , particularly those of the hindwing , -ndth very 

 broad light ochre-yellow bordering. Habitat exclusively the forests of the Pacific coast of Guatemala. 

 zonciras. — As zonaras s^ibsp. nov. we here introduce a further local form allied to the octa-via type, the type 

 of which is in the British Museum, with the very doubtful locaUty "Colombia". The q differs from 

 octavia in the still purer white anteterminal shade and the lighter blue basal part of both wings. Beneath 

 the brown marginal area extends further proximad to the wall of the cell and the submarginal 



