224 AUSTRALIAN RUOrAJ.OCKRA : LYC.KM D.K, III., 



9. 1:2-15 mm. (14). Up per side. — Forewiny with broad 

 brown costal and outer margins, rest of wing pale blue, with 

 dai-ker base, variable in extent but usually occupying more than 

 i area of wing. In one specimen it only occupies I, and the 

 inner margin is brown. Cilia brown. Ifindfcing Ijrown, with a 

 suffusion of blue, deepest at base, over greater part of Ming; a 

 submarginal interneural series of black spots crowned with white, 

 the two between median nervules largest; a series of interneural 

 lunules marking outmost limit of blue suffusion; nervules marked 

 with brown. In some specimens an elongated spot beyond cell. 

 Cilia brown. Tail black, tipped with white. 



Underside usually lighter in colour than in $ and with the 

 white borders to bands better defined. 



This species varies in the colour of the underside, which is 

 brown showing sometimes a tint of chocolate, lilac or gvey. 

 What is probably a seasonal form occurs at the Richmond River 

 in May, in which the jet black spots with their metallic scales 

 have disappeared from the underside of the hindwing, their place 

 being taken by an orange suffusion; intermediate forms occur as 

 well. The free terminal portion of the costal nervure is well 

 developed. Herrich-Schaffer in his description compares this 

 species to Li/c. ( = iV.) heroe, Feld., which is again compared to 

 X. atraia, Horsf., by Druce. Mr. de Niceville informed me that 

 our species was .V. atrata; but from Ceylon specimens and a note 

 from my friend Mr. R. E. Turner, I am inclined to doubt this, 

 and prefer to call it N. berenice. Miskin, to whom N. herenice 

 was unknown, determined this species as Lam. { = K.) ]javana, 

 Horsf., a species which has no central spot in cell of fore wing 

 below. The nearest Australian species is the much smaller 

 tailless form, X duhiosa, but the colour of the upperside in the 

 males is totally different, and in the females N. herenice has a 

 much greater extent of blue on the upperside, and the marginal 

 markings of the hindwing are very conspicuous. The range of 

 this species is from Richmond River to Cairns {$ 16, 9 16). 



