196 
DANANIA. By H. Fruhstorfer. 
Lep. that an endemic form occurs in North-West Australia, of small size and nearly identical with 
laratensis Btlr. from Timor-Laut, whilst in Queensland there is a large race which approximates to the 
Chinese name-type and must be regarded as a recent introduction. 
melanippus. D. melanippus occurs together with plexippus on the continent and on some islands of the Macro- 
malayan region. It has always a darker coloured body than plexippus, and apparently cannot project its 
anal pencils of itself; it needs at least a very strong pressure to squeeze them out. 'melanippus appears to 
be a decadent species and to make up for its want of sexual activity by intensity of colouring, especially 
indicus. the Indian race. — indicus Fruhst. (77 c) with its largely white hindwing is a beautiful butterfly. It is 
much rarer than plexippus, especially at the extreme limit of its range, e. g. at Calcutta, which it only 
occasionally reaches, whilst in the whole of Further India from Tenasserim to Eangoon and Cochin China 
it always occurs in abundance, and in Saigon even forms an ornament of the botanical gardens. -— Still 
hegesippus. more common is hegesippus Cr., originally described from West Sumatra, but also occurring on Singapore, 
the Lingga Archipelago, the Natuna Islands and the Malay Peninsula. Siielford has recently shown 
that it also occurs in West Borneo. It is somewhat smaller than indicus and constitutes a melanotic form 
of this with reduced white transverse bands on the forewing and broadly black veins on the hindwing, 
which, especially in Sumatran examples, bears beneath broad brown streaks in the basal area, whilst in 
indicus this part is pure and dazzling white. Valve very different from that of plexippus, more rect¬ 
angular, distally strongly contracted Avith thin, narrow, beak-like apex. Whilst melanippus indicus Fruhst. 
scarcely varies on the continent from Burma and Tenasserim to Saigon, the species begins to lose its 
fixity as soon as it enters the maze of Malayan islands. A few sea miles of distance suffice there to 
change the races so much that their specific identity can only be ascertained with difficulty; in fact the 
separate island forms were regarded for decades as true species. Especially on the islands near Sumatra 
the capacity of the species for forming races is seen at its maximum. The otherwise constant ground¬ 
colour changes from red-brown (pietersi from Engano) to black-brown and black ( keteus, umbrosus, eurydice). 
Tavo directions of variation may be recognized. The pie ter si- branch, which gravitates towards Ja\ r a, and a 
second ( eurydice, etc.), which gravitates towards the Nicobars. The races of the tAvo lines, apart from the 
influence exercised by the sea as a separating factor, might represent at the same time the relics of an 
ancient fauna. The red-brown pietersi, which we know from Engano, may derive its origin from the land- 
connection with Java, whilst the black-brown forms of the more northerly islands may be regarded as the 
nesippus. faunistic remnants of a tongue of land Mentawej-Nias-Nicobars. — nesippus Fldr., from the Nicobars, has 
preserved in the cell of the hindAving and its immediate neighbourhood the white markings of indicus and 
hegesippus, especially on the under surface, where the red-brown submarginal patches are only a little more 
umbrosus. strongly developed than in the Sumatran name-type. — In umbrosus Fruhst. (77 d) every trace of Avlrite 
scaling on the hindwing above has disappeared and the red-brown on the underside of the hindwing is 
more extended and suppresses the white bands, of which only red-brown-powdered streaks remain. Pulo 
eurydice. Tello, near Nias. -— In eurydice Btlr. even these vestiges of white disappear beneath and the hindwing is 
unicolorous red-brown Avith black-brown distal border, which bears the usual double row of Avliite dots. 
keteus. Nias, very rare. — Finally, in keteus Hag. the Avhite roundish subapical patches of the foreAving also begin 
to disappear, being scarcely half as broad as in umbrosus, but the hindwing has beneath a slightly lighter 
pietersi. tinge round the cell. Mentawej Islands. — pietersi Doh. (77 c) has the forewing elongated instead of 
rounded, and the weakly developed whitish subapical patches are powdered over Avith grey-violet, which is 
unique among the Danaids, but which unfortunately is not sufficiently brought out in the figure. On the 
hindwing the black suffusion of the upper. surface is again reduced in order to make room for a broAvn 
cell-centre and interneural stripes of the same colour, which on (lie under surface moreover are more 
melanippus. copiously shaded with Avhite. Engano, common. Flies principally in April. — melanippus Cr. is somewhat 
smaller than pietersi. Forewing light yellow-brown as in indicus and with narrower white subapical band. 
Hindwing similar to that of pietersi, but lighter brown. The double roAV of Avhite subterminal dots almost 
as strongly expressed as in indicus. Examples also occur, especially in the 2$, with narroAv white vein- 
stripes on the hindwing, which especially beneath are frequently more extended. Java, especially in the 
malossona. Avest of the island up to about 700 m. — malossona Fruhst. is the most easterly of the known melanippus- 
races, which are wanting in some parts of the Micromalayan region. Only one $ has hitherto been taken, 
Avhich I brought from Toli-Toli in North Celebes. Forewing with light red-brown tinge in the cell and disc, 
very distinct white spots at the apex of the cell and even broader Avhite oblique band than indicus. 
Hindwing with pure Avhite cell and very long, broad interneural areas powdered Avith reddish at their edges. 
Under surface of the forewing light red-broAvn with whitish patches, that of the hindwing Avith reddish 
costal margin and blue-white areas, which have distally a red-brown border of medium breadth. 
haruhasa. D. haruhasa Doh. (= erebus Rob.) is a peculiar species, a sort of intergrade between melanippus 
and ismare in its projecting apex and narrow forewing. The forewing is somewhat more pointed than eA r en 
in the very long and narrow-winged pietersi Doh. from Engano, and its ground-colour is a peculiar sepia- 
brown. The subapical band of the forewing, which is violet instead of white in pietersi, is reduced in 
