14 RHOPALOCERA. 
Mr. Bates, in describing this species from specimens obtained by us in Guatemala in 
1862, compared it with Melinwa messatis, Hew.; but its nearest ally is undoubtedly 
M. lilis, Doubl. & Hew., to which Messrs. Butler and Druce referred it?. So close is 
it to that species that its difference from it may well be questioned. The most 
noticeable points of distinction consist in the inner of the two bands of yellow spots on 
the primaries being purer in colour instead of tinged with tawny as in U/. lilis. The 
discocellular dark band of the primaries runs between the first and second median 
branches uninterruptedly, and in many cases is joined to the black of the outer margin. 
In UM. lilis this band is almost always broken up into spots. ‘These differences assume 
a higher value than at first appears, seeing that they are found also to some extent 
in Heliconit inhabiting the same localities (H. metalilis, Butl., of Venezuela, and 
H. telchinia, Doubl., of Central America). Mexican specimens of MW. imitata were 
described by Dr. Felder as M. tachypetis; but an example from Oaxaca differs in no 
way from our Guatemalan types, with which also Costa-Rican specimens agree. 
In Guatemala this species appears restricted to the hot forests of the lowlands; none 
of our specimens were obtained at a higher elevation than a thousand feet. 
We have figured one of the types, a male, from the valley of the Rio Polochic. 
B. Tibia of front leg of male reduced to a knob at the end of the femur ; tarsus either 
altogether absent, or barely distinguishable at the end of the tibial knob. 
a. Femur of front leg of male much shorter than the coxa. 
SCADA. 
Mechanitis, section Oleria, Hiibn., Bates, Trans. Linn. Soc. xxi. p. 529. 
Scada, Kirby, Syn. Cat. Diurn. Lep. p. 23 (1871). 
Terminal joint of palpi almost obsolete; costal and subcostal nervures of secondaries 
of male close together ; lower radial directed forwards. 
The members of this small genus were placed by Mr. Bates as a section of the 
genus Mechanitis, with which no doubt they have considerable affinity. ‘he section, 
however, seems sufficiently definite to admit of being treated as a separate genus; and 
as such it was placed by Mr. Kirby. As Mr. Bates did not employ Oleria in a generic 
sense, and as Oleria of Hiibner contains none of these insects, Mr. Kirby was, we 
think, justified in proposing the new name Scada for them. The genus consists of 
about ten species, distributed over the greater part of Tropical America from Brazil to 
Costa Rica. 
1. Scada xanthina. (Tab. III. fig. 2.) 
Ithomia (Oleria) xanthina, Bates, Ent. M. Mag. ili. p. 52°. 
Scada xanthina, Kirby, Cat. p. 23°; Butl. & Druce, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 334°. 
