36 



INSECTS OF SAMOA. 



In several geographical races this species is one of the most widespread 

 butterflies in the South and Central Pacific ; its range extends from Australia 

 in the west to Tahiti in the east, and it is found on many atolls that support 

 no other butterfly-life except the still more widely- distributed H. bolina and 

 perhaps Euploea eleutJio. 



TABLE II 



Size in millimetres of specimens of Precis villida from various localities 



Locality. 



Race. 



Male. 



Female. 



Max. 



Mean. 



Min. 



Max. 



Mean. 



Min. 



Tonga 



villida 



52 



49 



48 



54 



52 



50 



Tutuila ... 



5 5 



50 



47-5 



46 



56 



53 



50 



Ellice group 





50 



(49) 



45 



58 



54 



46 



Olosega 



J ? 



46 



(46) 



45 



54 





45 



Western Samoa . 



samoensis 



47 



42-5 



38 



52 



45 



39 



11 (b). Precis villida samoenis Rebel. 

 Junonia velleda ; Semper, 1866, p. 251. 



Schmeltz, p. 183. 



Fruhstorfer, 1902, p. 353. 

 Junonia villida ; Butler, 1874, p. 281. 



Waterhouse, 1904, p. 493. 



Pagenstecher, jd. 302. 

 Junonia vellida ; Fraser, p. 149. 



Junonia villida samoensis Rebel, 1910, p. 418, PI. XVIII, fig. 9. 

 Precis villida samoensis ; Fruhstorfer, 1912, p. 522. 



Rebel's description of this race is as follows : " Distinguished from the 

 Australian parent form by its smaller size (male 19-22, female 24-27 mm., 

 length of fore wing), but above all by the bright orange setting of the beautiful 

 blue-centred eye-spots, which is completely confluent and appears as a broad 

 border on all the wings. Also the ground-colour is a little darker, and extends 

 down on the hindwings in cell 3 as a blunt tooth. On the underside all the 

 wings are pale yellowish-grey, with very broad rich orange colouring in the 



