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92 MEMOIES OF T H E NATIONAL ACADEMY O F SCIENCES. gems of blue, gold, silver, and green, make a picture never to be forgotten. Many of the fish are timid, and dart quickly away upon the slightest provocation, while others appear indifferent to capture, and may be easily caught with the hand. The basins and indentations of the outer reef afford safe retreats for many wonderful forms that live in these warm seas. A view of such a grotto, with its growing coral and brilliant and gaudy fish, fully confirms the praise bestowed by nearly all visitors to these South Sea Islands. E v e n the shark, eel, gar-fish, and other common forms have their charming gifts, only in less degree than the chaetodon and parrot-fish. The coral reef is a field pregnant with hfe, and offering the most beautiful and curious forms imaginable for observation and study. Detached pieces of coral form the hiding places of hosts of small fish, crabs, shrimps, star-fish, moUusks, etc., and myriads of microscopic beings. The following list is only a partial inventory of the different forms observed: Echinoderms: Brittle stars {ophiuridm), several varieties. ⢠sun star. Star-fish {AstendcB) j cross fish. knotty cushion star. Sea urchins {echim), six varieties. Sea cucumbers {holothwias), three varieties. Crustaceans: OEDBE : .Becapoda: Sea crayfish. Shrimp. " Eacer crab (Ocypoda). Land crab (gecarcmus). Hermit crab, three species, which occupied eight varieties of moUusk shells. Their number is enormous. They were found even near the tops of small trees, whither they had gone carrying a shell of several times their own weight. Of the Ccphalopods the only one seen belonged to the family of the Octopodidse, the eight- armed cuttle. Although the habitat of many varieties of mollusks, we had not the facilities for procuring many of their shells, and some seen could not be identified. The following list, therefore, is not a complete one: Sea trumpet (Triton). Pinna (Pinna). Frog shell (Eanella). Scallop (Pecter), several varieties. Spindle shell (Fusus). Cup and saucer limpet (Calyptraea). Spotted needle shell (Terebra). Clams (Tridacuidte), and others. Cowrie (Cypraeidae), eight varieties. Stromb shells (Strombus), se\cral varieties. Common top shell (Trochus). Whelks, volutes, etc." MEMORANDUM OF T H E B U T T E R F L I E S , E T C . OF CAROLINE ISLAND (Collection by Dr P A L I S A , ideutiflcatious by Dr A U T H U R B U T L E R and Mr. HERMAN-N S T R E C K E U ) Dr. PALISA, of the French expedition, made a complete collection of the lepidoptera of the island, which he has taken to Vienna for identification. A t my request, he was kind enough to make as complete a collection as was possible of duphcates, which were presented to us. This
S O L A B E C L I P S E , M A Y 6, 1883. 93 latter collection contained thirteen specimens, and through the kindness of my colleague. Professor O W E N , of the University of Wisconsin, it was submitted to D r . H E R M A N N S T R E O K B R , of Beading, Pennsylvania. Dr. STRECKER was prevented from making a careful study of the collection, and returned it with the identification of five specimens, viz: 1 Utethesia pulchella, L . 4 IHadema boltna, 3 S ,1 9. One of the latter (a male) and the other eight specimens were sent by me to Dr. A R T H U R G. BUTLER, assistant keeper of the zoological department of the British Museum. The remaining four were presented to Professor OWEN'S collection. Dr. BUTLER kindly undertook the identification of the nine specimens sent him, and his report on the subject follows. These specimens are now m the collection of the British Museum. I t will be seen that Dr. STREOKER'S Biadema bolina has been made a new species,by Dr. BUTLER, who has also found in this small collection three other new species, one representing a new genus. I desire to express here the thanks of the expedition to these gentlemen for their kindly interest, and especially to Dr. BUTLER for his full report, which follows : TBE LEPIDOPTERA COLLECTED BT HERR FALISA AT CAROLINE ISLAND IN MAT, 1883 By A R T H U R G B U T L E R , assistaut keeper oi the zoulogical departmuut, Bntish Museum " The collection contains one butterfly of the family Nymphalidm ; the moths are represented by a new species of Macroglossay three species of Nocturn, and sexes of one species of Pyrales. BUTTEEFLIES. NYMPHALIDM. Hypolimnas Eoldeni. sp. n.'(No. 61). i wings above, velvety, blackish-piceous, with the sinuations of the cilia white; primaries with a large, irregular, oblique patch of glossy ultramarine blue, inclosing an obhque oval lilac patch, irrorated with white scales immediately beyond the cell j an oblique, unequally trifid, subapical spot, the two upper divisious of which are snow-white, and the inferior division uUra- marine, irrorated with lilac; secondaries with a large subquadrate central patch of glossy ultra- marine, its inner edge straight, limited by the first median branch, its other edges undulated between each parr of veins; this patch incloses a small central aggregation of lilac scales; abdominal area purplish brown, with pale sandy-brown inner edge; body blackish; head and palpi white spotted; antennal club tipped with bright cupreous; under surface very similar to that of ff. rante of Eschscholtz, which we have from North Australia and the Ellice Islands, but wanting the white band across the secondaries; the submaiginal lunate spots are also bluer, and the apical area of the primaries as redder; it also differs from E. otaheitm of Felder in the same characters and its greatly superior size; expanse of wings, 75 millimeters. The genus Eypoltmnas is a difficult one, chiefly owing to the great similarity of the males. This difficulty is, however, increased in certain islands by the apparently variable tendencies of the females, more particularly m the ground-color of the wings. How far these modifications are constant to locality within the island can only be ascertained by careful breeding; but as regards forms from different islands there can be no doubt that they are locally separable.
94 MEMOIES O F T H E NATIONAL ACADEMY O F SCIENCES. I n the present day all genera m which the species are common, and the local forms of which consequently are fairly well represented in all extensive collections, are the subject of endless and useless discussion between the two classes of describersâthose who regard local forms as species and those who regard them as varieties. A s a fact, however, the matter hes in a nutshell. I f all local forms are varieties, there are no species of Lepidoptera, or will not be when we have perfect collections. Local forms are m fact the only species that exist, as is evident m the case of all genera which are well represented in our collections. I therefore regard a local form as a species and a sport, a melanism or an albinism as a variety. 1 admit no subspecies, regarding the latter as an evasion, invented by such as do not possess sufficient courage to express their opinions. MOTHS SPHINGED^. Macroglossa cinerescens, sp. n. (No. 57). 9 Nearer to M. oiscura, Horsf. from Java, than to any other described species; differing from all the known species in the coloration of the primaries; the latter are ash-gray; the costal border dark brown, with a basal streak in the cell and a spot (confluent with costal border) at the end of the cell of the same color; a broad, smoky-brown, external border, widest on costa and gradually narrowing to external angle, its inner edge darkest, forming an ill-defined band; secondaries dark chocolate-brown, traversed from center of costa to anal angle by a broad, bright, ochreous band, Its ipner edge dentated, its outer edge sinuous (geschwungen); body grayish-brown above, the abdomen evidently with yellow lateral spots, but the body of the type is a good deal rubbed, having lost its lateral and anal tufts; wings below smoky-brown, inclining to chocolate; pnmaries with paler internal border; base streaked with whitish; secondaries whitish at base; abdominal area chrome j'ellow, excepting at anal angle; a broad pale band, mottled with red-brown, from the abdominal area to the costa; head below white; pectus sordid white; venter smoky grayish-brown, with white-frmged black-edged posterior margins to the segments; expanse of wings 48 millimeters. The genus Macroglossa contains a considerable number of nearly allied species, no less than thirty-seven being contained m the collection of the British Museum. When the whole of the grades can be associated in one series it is probable that they will not number less than a hundred, possibly many more. Notwithstanding the great similarity of the imagines in this genus, the larva exhibit the most astounding difierences of color and pattern. ^ XYLOPHASHD^. Frodema retina (Nos. 60 and 62). Neuria retina., Herrich-Schaflfer, Enrop. Schmett, I I , p. 292; Noct., pi. 29, fig. 145. This is a wide-ranging species, of which tlie following may be nothing more than an albinism ; but as I have never seen anything like it before from any ot the Asiatic or African localities where P. retina abounds, I think it worth while provisionally to give it a distinctive name. Frodema evanescens, sp. n. (Nos. 59 and 63). Slightly larger than P . retina, with the same pattern, but the pnmaries, with all the brown markings, replaced by pale olivaceous; the black markings also indicated in this color upon the central belt, but towards base and external border by dull lilac, it indicated at a l l ; veins beyond
S O L A R E C L I P S E , M A Y 6, 1883. 95 the central belt duU lilac; secondaries semi-transparent,opaline white as usual, but the brownish border much paler, of a pale brassy-golden tint; expanse of wings 34-37 millimeters. In the genus Prodema there is a considerable similarity of pattern in most ot the species, so that the distinctness of P. evanescens is quite possible. REMIGIID^. Remigia fi-ugalis (No. 58). Noctua frugalis, Fabricius. E n t . Syst. I l l , 2, p. 138. Ghalciope lycopodta, Hubner, Zutr. Exot. Schmett, p. 25, n. 449; figs. 897, ,898. This IS a wide-ranging species, common throughout Asia and Africa. Allied to Mesocondyla, Led., and Geratoclasis, Feld. BOTIDIDiE. Ritiecera gen. nov. Primaries triangular, bioader in the male than the female, and with the costal border angularly expanded, thickened at the edge to basal third, where it is succeeded by a rather deep impression, bounded in part by a well defined ridge; costal vein short, extending to the angle at extremity of thickened basal border; cell open, short in the male, extending to about the basal third; slightly longer in the female; subcostal vein five-branched; the first branch emitted before the end of the cell; m the male near to base and much abbreviated; second to fourth branches beyond the cell from main stem; the second branch in the male emitted at some distance beyond the cell; the fourth branch running to apex in continuation of main stem; fifth branch emitted separately from anterior angle of cell and close to upper radial; the two latter nervures are elbowed and widely divergent m the male; discocellnlar veinlet obsolete; the lower radial and the three median branches are emitted close together, so that the median vein becomes quadriramose; submedian normal; secondanes cuneiform, with angles rounded off, narrower and more elongated in male than female; costal margin m male about as long again as abdominal margin; frenum long, single, held by a broad upcurved patch of long scales near base of inner border'of primaries; costal vein obsolete; subcostal thickened toward base, emitting its two branches from a long footstalk beyond the cell; the latter short, closed by a feebly indicated incurved discocellnlar veinlet; two radials present (probably to compensate for loss of costal vein); upper radial emitted from anterior angle of cell, and lower as a fourth median branch from posterior angle of the same; body moderately robust; eyes large and prominent; palpi extending considerably in front of head, porrected, nearly straight, compressed, compactly scaled, terminal joint very short; aotennpe long and wiry, extending to about second third of primaries; in male very aberrant, the basal joint subcyhndncal, slightly compressed, a little attenuated m front; second joint more than twice as long as first, straight, slightly contorted at proximal end, expanded and terminating in a tuft of bristles at distal end; inferior margin flattened, coarsely serrated, and fringed with short bristles; third joint slightly longer than first, slightly curved, cylindrical, expanding toward distal end, clothed with long scales; remaining joints normal, tapering toward extremity; legs long and moderately robust, femora compressed, tibial spurs well developed; abdomen of male wantmg, of female extending slightly beyond secondanes, tapering to anal extremity. Binecera mirabilts sp. n. (Nos. 64 and 65). Fuligmous-brown, paler in male than female; discoidal spots of primaries black, centered with hyaline white, most distinctly in female; an angulated black band across basal fourth; discal
