RHOPALOCERA MALAYANA. 223 



Male. Wings above bright metallic-blue ; anterior wings (excepting a basal space occupying the 

 lower half of wing beneath cell, and not extending beyond extremity of cell) black ; posterior wings with 

 the costal, outer and abdominal margins black, and with some indistinct anal-angular spots. Wings 

 beneath pale brownish ; anterior wings crossed on outer half by two series of greyish linear fasciae, which 

 terminate near the upper median uervule, and are then continued Ijy a third series which commences 

 between them and terminates near inner margin, and with a marginal and two submarginal series of 

 greyish linear fasciae. Posterior wings with two series of irregular and broken greyish linear fasciaj, 

 which are apparently arranged in subbasal and discal series ; a third series beyond disk, two submarginal 

 waved linear fascite and a narrow marginal fascia of the same colour ; a large black marginal spot 

 bordered with reddish-ochraceous between the first and second median nervules and a smaller spot 

 of the same colour irrorated with bluish scales at anal angle. Body above and beneath more or less 

 concolorous with wings. 



Female. Wings above bright but non-metallic blue ; anterior wings with the costal and outer margins 

 broadly (broadest at apex) blackish ; posterior wings with the costal and abdominal margins fuscous, 

 the posterior margin narrowly black, with two submarginal waved fuscous linear fascia, and a large 

 margmal black spot inwardly bordered with bluish between second and third median nervules. Wings 

 beneath paler in hue, but marked as in male. 



Exp. wings, ^ 22 to 27 millim. ; 2 , 28 to 32 millim. 



Hab. — Continental India ; Bombay, Sikkim, Calcutta (Wood-Mas. & de Nic). — Ceylon (Thwaites — coll. 

 Dist. and Brit. Mus.). — Nicobar Islands ; Nankowri, Kamorta, Trinkut, Katschall (Wood-Mas. & de Nic). — 

 Malay Peninsula; Province Wellesley (coll. Dist.). — Formosa (Brit. Mus.). 



This is a variable species, especially in the male sex. The male specimen here described 

 and figured differs from the typical form of the species in the greater amount of melanism, or 

 increase of the black coloration to the anterior wings ; whilst the variety nicoharicus, described 

 by Messrs. Wood-Mason and de NiceviUe, varies contrariwise by the greater extent of the bh;e 

 area. Only one male specimen having been collected it will remain to be discovered whether 

 this varietal male form is of a constant or local character in the Malay Peninsula, as the 

 females are indistinguishable from Ceylonese examples.* 



Genus CATOCHEYSOPS. 



Catochrysops, Boisduval, Voy. Astrolabe, Lep. p. 87 (1832); Moore, Lap. Ceyl. i. p. 90 (1881). 



Anterior wings subtriangular, costal margin moderately arched, outer margin convex, inner margin 

 nearly straight. First subcostal nervule emitted about middle of cell, impinging on and slightly touching 

 the costal nervure, second emitted nearer to base of first than from base of third, third and fourth 

 bifurcating at about two-thirds the length of third ; cell extending to about half the length of wing ; lower 

 median nervule emitted near middle of cell, the two upper somewhat close together. Posterior wings 

 subovate, costal margin strongly arched at base and then oblique to apex, posterior margin couvexly 



* The variation in one sex of this species is of a very perplexing character, if we endeavour to bring any of the modern 

 explanations to bear upon the point. Thus in the Nicobars a pale variety appears to have become representative, whilst in 

 the island of Ceylon the species agrees with the form found in Continental India, so that insular causes cannot be the sole 

 factor. In the Malay Peninsula a melanic change has ensued, but again only in the male sex. Whether this may be due to 

 " Phytophagic " variation, or the effects consequent upon a change of food-plant in the larval condition, as proposed by 

 Mr. B. D. Walsh (Proc. Ent. Soc. PhQad. vol. iii. pp. 40.3 — 130), is at least an interesting conjecture, and one to be solved 

 by the local lepidopterist. That species do vary and assume local forms must be tu the knowledge of everj- natiu-alist 

 who has worked at a widely distributed group, and the erection of new specific names founded more upon the separation of 

 locality than the difference of character, threatens in the near future to become one of the gi-eatest hindrances to the 

 philosophical study of Entomology. Mr. WoUaston has pomted out how the Maderian specimens of Lycana plilcsas, Linn., 

 " are invariably darker and more suffused than the English ones" (' On the Variation of Species,' p. 34). 



