90 RHOPALOCERA MALAYANA. 



has iiu apparently common origin with the second ; second and third nervules widely separated. Posterior 

 win<;s subovate, the costal margin obliquely convex: outer margin very convex, waved, and produced into 

 a short caudate appendage iit anal angle. Abdominal margins convex and overlapping at base, and then 

 distinctly concave and slightly divergent to anal angles. Costal nervure arched and extending to apex; 

 discoidal nervule emitted a little beyond the bifurcation of the subcostal nervules ; discoidal cell with the 

 apex entirely open ; median nervules arranged much as in anterior wings. Body short : palpi long, 

 porrect, and pointed ; antenuic slender, gradually thickened towards apex. 



This genus is of very cousiderable extent, and it is in Africa — tropical and subtropical — 

 tliat its greatest number of species are found ; in fact, if we include Madagascar, at least three- 

 fourths of the present known species inliabit the Ethiopian region.* Precis is also found in 

 Continental India, Ceylon, and onwards, and sparingly — as regards its number of species — 

 through the Malay Peninsula and Malayan Archipelago, and is represented in Australia. 

 At this time about forty species have been described. 



1. Precis iphita. (Tab. XL, tig. 9 <? ; & var. Tab. IX., fig. 5 2.) 



I'a/nlio Iphita, Cramer, Pap. Ex. iii. t. 200, C, D (1782) ; Fabr. Sp. Ins. p. 86, n. 379 (1781) ; Maut. Lis. p. -16, 



n. 457 (1787); Eut. Syst. iii. p. 109, n. 337 (1793). 

 Vanessa Iphita, Godt. Enc. Metb. is. p. 814, n. 40 (1819). 

 Precis Iphita, Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Lep. Mus. E. I. C. i. p. 143, n. 290 (1857) ; Snellen, Tijd. Ent. vol. xix. 



p. 150, n. 31 (1876); Moore, Proc. Zool. See. 1878, p. 828; ibid. 1882, p. 239; Lep. Ceyl. i. p. 39, 



pi. 21, f. 1, ,(, I, (1881). 

 Jimonia Iphita, Butl. Cat. Fabr. Lep. p. 76, n. 17 (1869); Trans. Linn. See. ser. 2, Zool. vol. i. p. 545, u. 1 



(1877) ; Godm. & Salv. Proc. Zool. See. 1879, p. 157, n. 17 ; ibid. 1878, p. 646. 

 Precis Intermedia, Feld. Eeise Nov. Lep. iii. p. 402, n. 600 (1866). 

 Precis Ida, var. intermedia, Snell. Tijdscbr. Eut. vol. xxi. p. 14, u. 62 (ly78). 



Male and female. Wings above fuliginous-brown, variable in intensity of hue. Anterior wings with 

 two transverse fasciae crossing cell, the margins of which are very irregular and dark fuscous, the first 

 situate about centre and the second near apex ; the apical half of wing is somewhat paler, and inwardly 

 bounded by a dark fascia commencing near costa and outwardly and obliquely directed to first median 

 nervule, from thence reflexed inwardly and terminating near centre of inner margin ; between this and 

 outer margin is a somewhat similar fascia, followed by two very dark submarginal lines, the outer one 

 more prominently waved ; marginal fringe and a small subapical spot whitish. Posterior wings with the 

 apical half paler and with the fasciae on the anterior wings continued, the first terminating near abdominal 

 margin about one-third from anal angle, the second broader and more outwardly curved than on anterior 

 wings, and possessing on its outer edge four or live obscure ocellated spots placed between the nervules ; 

 submarginal lines as on anterior wings, but the inner one more waved. Wings beneath paler ; both wings 

 crossed by two somewhat broad, dark, basal fasciie, the first crossing centre of cell of anterior wings, curved 

 inwardly on cell of posterior wings and indistinctly terminating near base of abdominal margin ; the 

 second crossing anterior wings at apex of cell, and terminating on posterior wings a little beyond end of 

 cell ; a similar fascia commencing near costa of anterior wings, and more or less amalgamating at median 

 nervules, with an oblique fascia crossing both wings, inwardly margined with a dark line commencing 

 near apical angle of anterior wings where it is broadest, and terminating near anal angle of posterior 



■■■■ The Oriental affinities in the Alrican iuuiia, or the zoological relationship between the Oriental and Ethiopian 

 regions, have receivetl no ice by many naturalists. Thns Dr. Stoliczl<a has pointed this out in the Malayan Ornithology, and 

 Ml \\allaee has described the same thing m the Mammalia and birds of W. Africa,-these possessing " a special Oriental or 

 e^en Malayan element, -and has also drawn attention to the Oriental element in the Ethiopian reptiles and amphibia. 

 M •■ nwh hi «b w! n ' ■ ' AfaC''^"/;!^^™* i" tl'^ fotuia of India," particularly as regards the Mammalia, and the late 



imii ,rd o th^ , h" ,''j;"^'^l/l\t! "' 'l^e relationship from the evidence afforded by the Siwalik deposits. Mr. Murray 



indined to the opinion that the Indo-Malayan region should be included with that of Africa, south of the Sahara. The writeV 

 has also shown the " Oriental athmties m the Ethiopian Inseet-Fauna" (' Nature,' vol xvii p 28--') 



