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104
Vol. 16: no.2
A RARE PAPER OF W. F. KIRBY by Paddy B. McHenry
Through the effort of Mrs. Halmos, Librarian of the Allan Hancock Foundation at the University of Southern California, S. H. Scudder's copy of W. F. Kirby's rare little paper titled "A List Of British Rhopalocera." has been located in the Foundation's library (ex Boston Society of Natural History library). The copy has been signed by Scudder on the title page with the date "May, 1872."
Hemming (1934, p.169) gave an account of what was known of the paper at that time.
The title page of the paper is as follows: "A List/ Of/ British Rhopalocera./ Printed On One Side Only J For Labelling Cabinets./ Including Nearly All The Varieties And Doubtful Species./ By W. F. Kirby./ Price 3d./ Brighton:/ H. Hallis, Printer And Bookseller, 5, Bartholomews./ 1858."
The paper consists of the following: the title page with its reverse side and pages [1], [2] and [3] each with a blank reverse side; the reverse of the title page has a brief [preface] which is signed "W. F. K." and dated "Brighton, February 4th, 1858."
Kirby, in the paper, indicates original material with his initials W. F. K. He gives as original: Theclides on page [2]; Lycaenides and Polyomma-tides on page [3 J; Pelion, a new genus, on page [3]; Colios hyale hyalis on page [1]; Eugonia [species?] urticsese on page [2]; Nomiades arion orion on page [3]; Lycaena hemichrysos, Lycaena Candida and Lycsena tesselata, new varieties of [phlaeas?] on page [3]. Descriptions for the varieties are given in brief foot notes; there is no description for urticsese which makes it Nomen nudum. Kirby also gives his initials with the combination Epinephile janira Linn, on page [2].
The complete text for the genus Pelion consists of two lines of text as follows: "Pelion, W. F. K." and "Linea, Fabr."
If any name in this paper has not been used since this 1858 publication, its nomenclatorial status seems questionable.
As indicated above, no page in this paper is numbered. The purpose for which this paper was printed, as indicated in the full title, suggests the reason for its present rarity.
References
Hemming, F., 1934. The generic names of the Holarctic butterflies. Vol. 1: 1758-1863: 184 + viii pp.
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