140 RHOPALOCERA MALAYANA. 



Ci/restis is a genus of not iuconsiderable extent, which, although represented in W. Africa 

 and Madagascar, has its head-quarters in the Oriental region. It is found in Continental 

 India, the Andaman Islands, Burma, Tenasserim, and in, and from, the Malay Peninsula, 

 througliout the length and breadth of the Malayan Archipelago ; it has also recently been 

 received from New Ireland. 



As regards the habits of one species of this genus {C. thiodamas), we possess much 

 interesting information. Capt. Lang describes having, in the N.W. Himalaya, "watched its 

 elegant soaring flight, far out of reach, as it floated over the blossoms of the horse-chestnut 

 {ravia indica), or rested on its broad leaves in the sunshine," or again " floating up and down 

 the fohage-covered face of a steep cliff overhanging a hill-torrent."* In the same district the 

 Eev. J. H. Hocking found it from "June to September," and states that it "hibernates 

 afterwards," and " sits with open wings upon hanging leaves of oak and rhododendron."! In 

 Sikkini Mr. do Niceville observed this and a species of the next genus (Chersoiiesin visa) as 

 having "the habit of suddenly settling with wings wide outspread, on the HHt^ersiV^f of a leaf 

 parallel to the ground, where [they are] completely hidden." " This feat of gymnastics," 

 Mr. de Niceville observes is, in his experience, confined to these genera alone, and must be a 

 great protection from enemies, as "the disappearance of the insect is so rapid that unless one 

 has actually watched it settle on the leaf it seems like magic." I 



The writer is unacquainted with any description of the transformations of the species 

 of this genus. 



1. Cyrestis nivea, rar. nivalis. (Tab. XII., fig. 3 c? .) 



Aniinhtisia Nireii, Zinkeu-Sommer, Nova Acta Ac. Nat. Cur. xvi. p. 138, t. 14, f. 1 (1831). 



Ci/restis Xiodlis, Feld. Eeise Nov. Lep. iii. p. 41-4, n. 634 (186C). 



Ciiref:tis nkea, Butl. Traus. Linu. Soc. ser. 2, Zool. vol. i. p. 54.5, n. 2 (1877). 



Male. Wings above pale creamy white ; both wings crossed by three obliquely waved fuscous lines 

 commencing about costa of anterior wings, the first near base, the second a little beyond cellular apices, 

 both angularly terminating on abdominal margin, the third crossing wings at centre and terminating 

 at third median nervule of posterior wings ; anterior wings with a broad but irregular fiiscous costal 

 margin from the central fuscous line to base, with an ochraceous basal costal streak ; cell crossed 

 by a fuscous line near base, and with two very slender and waved fuscous lines at about apex ; a broad 

 apical fuscous patch and a broad outer margin of the same colour, terminating near third median 

 nervule, the first inwardly containing two waved pale lines with an inner grey spot, and the second 

 possessing three pale submarginal lines ; between second and third median nervules is a submarginal 

 and subovate fuscous spot, with an inner grey spot and inner pale margin, and this spot is connected with 

 the apical patch by a waved fuscous line ; near posterior angle is an ochraceous spot, with a sinuate 

 fuscous inner margin and two small central fuscous spots ; posterior wings with a submarginal fuscous 

 fascia divided by a central pale line, followed by a fuscous line which becomes waved beneath the discoidal 

 nervule ; a short straight fuscous fascia from apex to first median nervule, a submarginal fuscous line very 

 broad at area of median nervules, and the margin at apex and also at caudate prolongation fuscous ; basal 

 half of abdominal margin pale fuscous, and apical half of abdominal margin and internal anal-angular area 



* Eut. Mou. Map;, i. p. 132. f Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 240. 



] Joui-D. Asiat. Soc. Benp;. vol. L. pt. 2, p. 57 (1881). 



