^92 RHOPALOCEIU MALAYANA. 



.3 Abisara tanita. (Tab. XVIII., tig. 14 5 .) 



T,..al„ uauu., licwitsm., Ex. Butt. ii. Tax. t. 1, text (18G1); Druee, Proe. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 347, n. 4 ; 



Ivirby, Cat. Diuni. Lep. p. 286, n. 5 (1871). 

 Taxila Orphm, Doubl. Hew. (nee Boisd.), Geu. Diuni. Lep. t. GV), f. 0, 7 (1851). 

 Abham (La.rit;) tanit,,, liutl. Trans. Liuu. Soc. ser. 2, Zool. vol. i. p. 540, n. 4 (1877). 



Female. Above bright purplish-red; anterior wings with the margins, the base, and a broad basal 

 streak between the lower median uervule and the submedian nervure pale fuscous ; posterior wmgs with 

 the marcrins (costal and abdominal margins broadly) and some broad streaks situate in cell and between 

 the nervules pale fuscous. Wings beneath bright purplish-red ; anterior wings with upper and apical 

 blue streaks in cell, the last margined outwardly with black, and with some blue and black discal spots, of 

 which the largest and most prominent are two beyond cell, and two divided by the second median nervule; 

 two faint bluish submarginal linear fascia which become obsolete at apex, and the costal margin broadly 

 fuscous near base ; posterior wings with some transverse series of black and blue spots at base, some large 

 elongate black submarginal spots with blue centres between the nervules, and blue and yellow submarginal 

 linefTr fasciffi, between which the colour is fuscous ; posterior margin fuscous. Body pale fuscous ; legs pale 

 obscure ochraceous. 



Exp. wings, S 38 millim. 



H.U3.— Malay Peninsula ; Province Wellesley (coll. Dist.) ; Malacca (Pinwill— Brit. Mus.) ; Singapore 



(Brit. Mus.)— Borneo (Druce). 



I have not received, uor have I been able to examine a male specimen of this species, 

 which, as figured by Doubleday and Hewitsou,* has the wings above fuscous, with the apex 

 and the outer margin of the anterior wings broadly, and the apical portion of the outer margin 

 of the posterior wings narrowly pale reddish ; the apex of the anterior wings being palest, and 

 the margin of the posterior wings containing a fuscous line. 



It is likely that the subgenus {Laxita) proposed by Mr. Butler for the reception of this 

 species may subsequently be used in a generic sense, though its founder stated that he was 

 "doubtful of its generic distinction." The relative positions of the bases of the first and 

 second subcostal nervules of the anterior wings are somewhat aberrant. 



(J. Abisara damajanti. 



Abisara Haiiiajiniti, Feldor, Wien. But. Mou. iv. p. 397, u. 13 (18C0). 

 Ta.cila Jhdiiajaiiti, Kirby, Cat. Diuru. Lep. p. 280, u. G (1871). 



This species is only known to me by Folder's description, t and is evidently closely alhed 

 to A. tanita. The following is the original diagnosis : — 



" Alls rubris, supra immaculatis, subtus maculis discalibus cyaneis (singula maculae atras imposita), 

 posticis strigis quatuor submarginalibus, prima cyanea, secunda et quarta fuscis, tertia albida. ^ . 



"Coll. Felder. — Species perpulchra .1. Orpluue, Boisd., valde aftinis, pagina autem inferiore alarum 

 anticarum maculis cyaneis ornata sufiicienter diversa." 



■ Gen. Diuru. Lep. t. G'J, f. aud 7. \ " lu pituiusula Malayioa coUecta." 



