RHOPALOCEEA MALAYANA. 119 



Genus NEPTIS. 



Nepth, Fabricms, HI. Mag. vi. p. 282 (1807); Westw. Geu. Diuin. Lep. p. 270 (1850); Moore, Proc. Zool. 



Sec. 1858, p. 3; Lep. Ceyl. i. p. 54 (1881). 

 Acca (part), Hiibn. Verz. bek. Scbmett. p. 4-1 (181G). 

 Philonoma, Billb. Euum. Ins. p. 78 (1820|. 

 Phadi/ma, Feld. Neues. Lep. p. 31 (1861). 

 Bahinda, Moore, Lep. Ceyl. i. p. 56 (1881). 



Anterior wings subtriangnlar, the costal mai'gin arched and convex from base ; apical angle rounded ; 

 outer margin geuerall}- convexly rounded, sometimes concavely sinuate about centre, and frequently waved ; 

 inner margin convexly produced near base, and more or less concavel}' sinuated beyond centre. Subcostal 

 nervules variable ; in the majority and most typical of the species * the first and second subcostal nervules 

 are emitted before and near the end of the cell, the third at less than midway between the extremity of the 

 cell and apex of wing, and the fovu-th and iifth bifurcate at a less distance from base of third than from 

 apex ; other species t have the second subcostal nervule emitted at the extremity of the cell ; and some I 

 again have the first emitted near end of cell and the second between end of cell and base of third uervulc ; 

 lower disco-cellular nervule obsolete. Posterior wings subovate ; costal margin convex and arched at 

 immediate base and then nearly straight along its greatest length, deflexed and slightly rounded towards 

 apex ; outer margin rounded and often waved ; abdominal margin oblique at anal angle ; costal nervure 

 more or less arched and convex, but not reaching apex of wing. Palpi hairy, porrect, and with the apices 

 acutely pointed. Autenute slender, with a gradually formed club. 



The above are the principal characteristics of this variable genus, and I should naturally 

 have followed Mr. Moore, and used his proposed genus Bahinda for the small group of tawny- 

 species forming the hordonia group, had I not found that the strongly divergent character of 

 the position of the second subcostal nervule, § as found in X. hordonia, did not apply to all the 

 other species of the same similarly coloured and sized group. || 



Neptis is a very large genus, and is found in the warmer portions of the Old World. Two 

 species inhabit portions of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, and the genus is represented 

 in Western, Southern and Eastern Africa, Madagascar, and Mauritius. It is very abundant in 

 Continental India, and extends eastward throughout the Malayan Archipelago ; it is found as 

 far north as Japan and as far south as Australia. 



Several transformations have been figured and described. The larva and pupa of a Javan 

 species are figured by Horsfield,!l who elsewhere states that the larva "feeds on a species of 

 Hedijsarum bearing the native name of Kajangau " ; ** and we are indebted to the Bros, de Alwis 

 for the drawings of the transformations of two species found in Ceylon (X. rarmona and 

 y. jumha). f f 



* As Neiitis duryodana. \ As Neptis tirja. \ As Neptis hordonia. 



§ A character which I have ah-eady used in separating my genus Chersimesia ixoxa Cyrestis. 



I Mr. Salviu has recently drawn my attention to similar, and even stronger, structural pecuUarities in the Tropical 

 American genus Ageronia. 



T Cat. Lep. E.I.C. t. vii. f. 9 and 9a. *- Cat. Lep. Mus. E.I.C. i. p. 109. 



ft Moore's Lep. Cej-l. i. pp. 55 and 5(5, t. 28, f . 1 6 and 2 6. 



June 30, 1883. 2 q 



