366 



KIIOPALOCERA MALA YANA. 



vibration of its transparent wings strongly reminded me of the dragon-fly, and it is possible 

 that it sometimes hovers in its flight, after the manner of the latter, though I did not 



see it do so." 



Subsequent to the above, and with reference to another species, Mr. Forbes has published 

 similar observations made in Sumatra :— "By the margin of a small stream I caught Leptocircus 

 virescens, which derives protection from mimicking the habits and appearance of a dragon-fly, 

 in a crowd of which it is often to be found. In form it reminded me of the European genus 

 Nemoptera. It flits over the top of the water, fluttering its tails, jerking up and down just as 

 drao-on-flies do when flicking the water with the tip of their abdomens. When it settles on 

 the ground it is difficult to see, as it vibrates in constant motion its tail and wings, so that 

 a mere haze, as it were, exists where it rests."* 



2. Leptocircus curius. (Tab. XLII., flg. 1.) 



Pajnlio Curim, Fabricius, Maot. Ins. ii. p. 9, n. 71 (1787); Eut. Syst. iii. p. 28, u. 81 (1793) ; Don. Ins. Ind. 



t. 47, f. 1 (1800). 

 Erycina Curius, Godt. Enc. Metb. ix. p. 564, n. 5 (1823). 

 Leptocircus Curius, Gray, Cat. Lep. PapQ. p. 73, n. 336 (1852) ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Lep. Mus. E. I. C. vol. i. 



p. 85, u. 172 (1857) ; Feld. Spec. Lepid. Pap. p. 1, n. 5 (18C4) ; Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 758 ; 



Wall. Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xxv. p. 69, n. 123 (1865) ; Butl. Cat. Fabr. Lep. p. 259, n. 1 (1869) ; 



Kheil, Rbop. der Lisel Nias. p. 37, n. 144 (1884). 



Male and Female. Differs from L. mcfjcs by the smaller size, less elongated caudate appendages to 

 tbe posterior wings, the greater expanse of the opaque black area to the anterior wings, and by the green 

 faseiffi to tbe wings of L. mer/cs being replaced by much narrower and white fasciae in L. curius. 



Exp. wings, 38 to 40 millim. 



Hab.— Continental India; Cherra Poonjee (Horsf. & Moore); Silbet, Assam (Feld.). — Bm-ma; 

 Moulmein (Feld.).— Malay Peninsula; Perak (coU. Godfery) ; Malacca (Feld.). -Siam (Feld.).— Sumatra 

 (Forbes — coll. Dist.) ; Nias Island (Kheil). — Java (Wallace and Brit. Mus.). — Borneo; Sarawak 

 (coll. Dist.). 



In Bengal this species has been described by Mr. A. Grote, as " Found only on the slopes 

 of tlir liills to the eastward and north-eastward." f 



Fam. HESPERIID^. 



lle.siierithr, Leach, Sam. Comp. p. 242 (1819) ; Wcstw. Geu. Diiirn. Lep. p. 505 (1852) ; Bates, Journ. Entomol. 



vol. i. p. 219(1861); ib. vnl.ii. p. 177 (18G4); Trimen, Rbop. Afr. Austr. p.285 (1866); Marsh. & De Nic. 



Butt. Ind., Burm. & Ceyl. vol. i. p. 18 (1882). 

 JLv/i.'rIiiLe, Westw. lutrod. Mod. Class. Ins. vol. ii. p. 360 (1840) ; Moore, Lep. Ceyl. vol. i. p. 156 (1881). 

 Urhicohc, Scudd. Trans. Anier. Ent. Soc. vol. vi. p. 69 (1877). 



Six perfect legs in l)oth sexes ; posterior tibiffi, with few exceptions, having two pairs of spurs. Antennae 

 generally curved or booked at apices. Pupa secured by many threads, or enclosed in a slight cocoon. 



Tbe olassiflcatory position of this family is unequivocal, and forms a connecting link 

 between the Papilioniuous portion of the PJiopalocera and the Heterocera or Moths. | When 



* ' Nat. Wand. East. Archipel.,' p. 130. t Proc Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 758. 



I Dr. Speytr has well pointed out that tlie Hesj'eriidcB are still more characterised as a genealogical transition group, 

 between the Heterocera and the Rhopalocera, in that they possess, in particular cases, two characteristic physiological and 

 anatomical pecuharities— the position of the wings when at rest, and the catch-bristle (haftborste) of the hind wings (Stett. 

 Ent. Zeit. 1878, pp. U;7— 193, and Eng. Trausl. Cauad. Ent. vol. x. p. 123 (1878). 



