290 liTIOPALOCERA MALAYANA. 



Archipelai^o, North Australia, many of the Pacific Islands, and is found as far north as China. 

 Mr. Wallace had many opportunities of ohserving the habits of these butterflies, in more than 

 one habitat, and he reports that "they all fly weakly and slowly, yet they are by no means 

 rare, since in almost every locality I found some of the species very abundant in the forests, 

 flving lazily along near the ground, sometimes settling on a flower, but more generally seeming 

 to wander aimlessly through the pathless recesses of the forest."* 



Seven species of Delias are here included as found in this fauna. f 



1. Delias dione. (Tab. XXIV., fig. 5 <? , (') 2 .) 



Piiintio Diom: Drury, 111. Ex. Ent. ii. t. 8, f. 3, 4 (1773). 



Veliiu pasithtie var. ilinne, Butl. Proc. Zool. Soc. 187'2, p. 29, n. 6. 



iK'lias ,liime, Butl. Traus. Liim. Soc. ser. 2, Zool. vol. i. p. 550, u. 2 (1877). 



Male. Anterior wings above very dark indigo-bhie ; the basal balf pale bluish, with the extreme 

 base, costal and inner marginal areas and neuration dark indigo-blue ; a small pale spot beyond cell, 

 and a submarginal series of pale bnear ray-bke spots placed between the nervules. Posterior wings above 

 dark indigo-blue, the basal half pale bluish, the abdominal margin more or less yellowish, the extreme 

 base dark indigo-lilue ; a small pale sjiot at end of cell, and a marginal series of pale linear ray-like spots, 

 but less distinct than those on anterior wings. Anterior wings beneath dark fuscous, a broad and irregular 

 greyish fascia crossing very near centre, divided by the fuscous neuration ; a pale spot beyond cell as 

 above, and the submarginal spots as above, but larger and more greyish. Posterior wings yellow, the 

 basal third, the neuration and the outer margin blackish, the last widening at apex, and apparently 

 containing five yellow spots ; the basal black area crossed by a bright carmine-red fascia. Body above 

 kidigo-blue, thorax beneath and legs blackish. Abdomen beneath greyish. 



Female. Wings above dark fuscous ; anterior wings with a broad irregular central greyish fascia 

 divided by the fuscous neurations, and a submarginal series of greyish linear spots ; posterior wings 

 crossed i)y an oblique, broad, greyish fascia near base, divided by the dark neui-ation. Wings beneath as in 

 male, the central fascia to anterior wings broader and absorbing the spot at end of cell ; posterior wings 

 with the yellow colour paler and more greyish. 



Exp. wings, ^ and 2 , 65 to 72 millim. 



H.\B. — Malay Peninsula; Province Wellesley (colls. Sailer & Dist.) ; Malacca (Pinwill — Brit. Mus.). — 

 Borneo (Brit. Mus.). 



This species is intermediate between D. pasithoe, Linn., a species found in Continental 

 India, and D. ecjialm, Cram., which is a Javau species. It is one of the many distinct forms 

 or species found in this region, in which more or less common features bear witness to a 

 common progenitor. \ 



•'■ Trans. Eiit. Soc. .ser. 3, vol. iv. p. 344. 



+ In a synouymic list of the .species of Delias (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1872, p. 29), Mr. Butler has given D. hicrte, Hiibii., 

 D. eucharis, Dru., anil D. descombesi, Boisd., as found in Penang, but I have as yet failed to find any corroboration of the fact 

 of such species being found there. 



\ Tlie Rev. L. C. Biggs has given some interesting facts relating to this butterfly, under the name of Delias Mr/ialea. 

 He speaks of it as the "common coasting Ijutterfly , " and describes it as being found sometimes in an " apparently endless 

 stream" all following one direction, and numbering twenty to thirty in sight per minute from any one point, but forming 

 a belt several miles broad, extending far inland from the coast, and from morning till night continuing to pass any fixed 

 point for a fortnight or more. " It seems seldom to feed or alight during these migrations, except at night or iu early 



morning, when with dawn it resimies its tlight Now and then it is entangled in a sort of cid ile sac, formed by tliick 



clumps of fruit trees, or the high walls of houses, against whicli it will dash itself repeatedly and recklessly, willing to 

 persevere until death. This is especiallv apt to be the case when a strong head wind is blowing against it" (' Monthlv 

 Packet,' vol. ii. pp. 186-7, 1881). 



