2gf^ RHOPALOCERA MALAYAN A. 



appear to be a very aucieut and little differeutiated generic group. This is evidenced by their 

 wide o-eographical distribution as a genus, the extremely large area in which two, at least, 

 of the species* are also found, and their generically distinct appearance combined with 

 smallness of specific differentiation. 



1. Leptosia xiphia. (Tab. XXVI., fig. 8.) 



PapiUo Xiphia, F;ibricius, Spec. lus. ii. p. 43, n. 180 (1781) ; Maut. Ins. p. 20, n. 204 (1787). 



P,il,ilio Xina, Fabr. Ent. Syst. iii. 1, p. 194, u. 004 (1793). 



Pin-is Nina, Godt. Euc. Meth. ix. p. 162, n. 147 (1819). 



Pontia Nina, Horsf. Cat. Lep. E.I.C. p. 140, u. GO (1829); Boisd. Sp. Gen. i. p. 431, n. 2 (1886); 



Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Lep. Mus. E. I. C. vol. i. p. 69, u. 130 (1857); Voll. Faun. Ind-Ncerl. Pier. 



p. 3, n. 1 (18G5); Wall. Trans. Ent. Soc. ser. 3, vol. iv. p. 317, u. 1 (1867); Snell. Tijd. Ent. xix. 



p. 16, n. 55 (1876); Lep. v. Midden- Sumatra, p. 22, u. 1 (1880). 

 Pontia Xiphia, Butl. Cat. Fabr. Lep. p. 229, u. 2 (1869) ; Druce, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 354, n. 1 ; ibid. 



1874, p. 107, n. 1. 

 Nirhitona Xiphia, Moorc, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1878, p. 837; Lep. Ceyl. vol. i. p. 118 (1881). 

 Var. a. Lvplusia Chlunyrapha, Hiibn. Zutr. Ex. Schmett. f. 47, 48 (1818). 



Male aud Female. Wings above white. Anterior wiugs with the costal margin narrowly blackish, the 

 basal third of which is spotted with greyish, apex, and a large spot at about centre of upper median nervules 

 black. Anterior wings beneath with the costal area aud apex speckled with fuscous strigse ; an outer marginal 

 series of small black spots, and the discal spot as above, but paler. Posterior wings beneath crossed with 

 irregular fuscous strigte, those on the disk assuming the form of trausverse fascise. Body above blackish, 

 beneath greyish ; legs greyish, streaked with fuscous. 



Exp. wings, (? and ? , 40 to 44 millim. 



Hab.— Contineutal India; Bombay (Leith — coll. Dist.) ; Calcutta (de la Chaumette). — Ceylon 

 (Thwaites — coll. Dist.). — Tenasserim ; Ahsown (Limborg — Moore). — Malay Peninsula; Suugei Ujong 

 (Durnford— coll. Dist.); Malacca (Wallace). — Siam ; Chentaboon, Nahcouchaisee (Druce). — Sumatra 

 (Snellen). — Java (Horsfield). — Borneo (Druce) ; Sandakan (Pryer — coll. Dist.). — Bali (Wallace). — Flores 

 (Wallace). — Timor (Vollenhoven). — Philippine Islands (Brit. Mus.). 



Mr. Wallace, who examined a long series of this species from many habitats, states tbat 

 it varies but little throughout its extensive range, and that the specimens from the Philippine 

 Islands "are very large." f Some variation does, however, ensue, Vollenhoven writes, "Chez 

 un individu de Sumatra le sommet des ailes superieures est presque entierement blanc en 

 dessous. Les individus de Timor ont la tache post-cellulaire plus grande que les autres." I 

 Horsfield found it "by no means uufrequeut" in Java";§ but it appears to be a moderately 

 scarce insect in the Malay Peninsula. In North-Western India, Capt. Lang only met with it 

 "in one place, a forest in the interior of Oudh, in the month of October," where it seemed 

 " to be afraid to fly boldly from the shelter of the bushes." || Capt. de la Chaumette, however, 

 found it "in great abundance in Calcutta, flying very softly about as if blown by the wind," 

 and during the months of March aud April. IT It would appear to be found nearly all the year 

 round, as Mr. Hutchison, in Ceylon, records it as found at Matale in August, aud from June 

 to December, in gardens at Colombo.** 



* L. alccsta iu the Ethiopian, aud L. xiphia in the Oriental Kegions. 



f Trans. Eut. Soc. scr. 3, vol. iv. p. 317 (1807). \ Faun. lud-Neerl. Pier. p. 4. § Cat. Lep. E. I. C. p. 141. 



H Ent. Mo. Mag. vol. i. p. 102. Ii Ibid. vol. ii. p. 36. ** Moore, Lep. Ceyl. vol. i. p. 118. 



