252 unol'AlJK'ERA MALAYANA. 



Genus NEOCHERITRA, gen. nov. 



Allied to Cheritra, but with the costal iiervure of the posterior wings terminating at about two-thirds 

 of costal margin, the subcostal nervules of the posterior wings emitted a little before end of cell, and the 

 position of the tail-like appendages reversed, the long one being at the apex of the submediau nervure, 

 and the shorter one at the apex of the lower median nervule. 



1. Neocheritra amrita. (Tab. XX., fig. 15 2 , and Tab. XXIII., fig. 12 <? .) 



Mi/yimi Amrita, Felder, Wieu. Ent. Men. iv. p. 395, n. 2 (1800); Hew. 111. Diurn. Lep. p. 27, n. 1, t. 11, 



f. 1—3 (1863); Butl. Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Zool. vol. i. p. 550, n. 7 (1877). 

 Sithon Amritii, Kheil, Ehop. der lusel. Nias. p. 82, n. 105 (1884). 



Male. Wings above violaceous-blue, more or less dusted with fuscous ; anterior wings with the 

 costal margin and rather more tlian the apical half black ; posterior wings with the outer margin black, 

 broadest at apex and containing three submargiual transverse pale spots, the two uppermost pale bluish 

 and separated by the second median nervule, the third white and situate between the lower median 

 nervule and the submedian nervure, where above the black margin is also a pale greyish spot, and above 

 the upper median nervule there is a discal black fascia, anal angle white, containing a small black spot ; 

 tail-like appendages greyish-white, with an indistinct central pale fuscous line ; tuft of hairs at base of 

 inner margin of anterior wings greyish with an ochraceous tinge. Wings beneath j^ale greyish ; anterior 

 wings with the whole cellular and outer areas pale reddish-ochraceous ; posterior wings with the costal and 

 apical areas pale reddish-ochraceous with two series of black spots, one marginal and separated by the 

 nervules commencing near discoidal nervule, the other and preceding series consisting of three transverse 

 spots separated by the lower median nervule and the submediau nervure ; tail-like a23pendages with their 

 bases blackish and with a central fuscous line ; body and legs more or less coucolorous with wings. 



Female. Wings above dark fuliginous-brown ; posterior wings with the black and white markings at 

 anal angular area as in male, but with the white markings larger, or sometimes, as in the figure here 

 given, with the white area and the black spots therein much larger ; tail-like appendages greyish-white, 

 with prominent central fuscous lines. Wings beneath as in male, but with the black markings at anal 

 angular area somewhat larger. 



Exp. wings, <J and 2 , 40 to 44 millim. 



Hab. — Malay Peninsula ; Malacca (Biggs — coll. Dist ; Pinwill — Brit. Mus.) ; Singapore (Kerr — coll. 

 Dist. ; coll. Godm. and Salv.). — Nias Island (Kheil). 



The female specimen liere figured is from Singapore, and contained in the collection of 

 Messrs. Godman and Salvin. It exhibits the maximum of varietal character as observed in 

 the species, and which appears to be found in the extent of the black and white markings on 

 the anal angular area of the upper surface of the posterior wings. Although C. amrita is only 

 recorded here from the Malay Peninsula it is probable that its geographical distribution will be 

 proved to be of a wider description, the Lyctmidce* of the Malayan Archipelago having still to 

 be properly described and enumerated. 



* Mr. P. n. Gosse has written to me that, on p. 19G, I should have cited him literatim, and shoukl have used the word 

 Lycmnadce, as he would reject the use of " a Greek patronymic in idee, from a noun of the first declension. Lyccena should 

 muke Lyctcnada:." My friend is doubtless correct on the point, though I expect the more con-upt word '' Lycccnidcv" will 

 provaii. bhould a day of hterary purification ever arise the requisite chans^e of well-known words in our hterature will be not 

 inconsiderable. Even so careful and great a writer as Milton has been recently shown, bv the late Mark Pattison, to have erred 

 in his title of 'II Penseroso,' the adjective formed from ' Pcnsiero' being ' Pensieroso' (Milton, p. 23). 



