IIESPEEIDi^E. 293 



334. (11.) Pyrgus Elrna, Trimcn. 



Pyrgus Elma, Trim., Trans. Ent. Soc. Loiul, 31x1 Ser., i. p. 288 (1862); 

 \'uk1 Rhop. Afr. Aust., ii. p. 291, n. 180, pi. 5, f. 8 [<S], (i866). 



Exp. al, {$) III ]iu. — I in. i jiu. ; ($) i in. 1-3 liu. 



^ DarJc-hrown, varied with Ivjhtcr, and with vitreous and while 

 spots. Fore-wing : dark to before middle, as far as a transverse curved 

 blackish streak ; beyond streak the wing is light-brown, with some 

 darker shades and dashes ; a disco-cellular transverse vitreous streak 

 contiguous to outer edge of blackish streak ; near it, between first and 

 third median nervules, two small vitreous spots, the lower one larger, 

 quadrate ; a transverse line of three contiguous, minute, vitreous spots 

 on costa, not far from apex ; cilia fuscous, unequally varied with 

 brownish-whitish between nervules. Hind-wing : almost black; a small 

 round white spot in discoidal cell, near base ; about middle a conspicuous 

 rather wide white band, attenuated at inferior extremity, from first 

 subcostal nervule to submedian nervure ; traces of a submarginal row 

 of whitish dots; anal-angular region hoary; cilia whitish, with broad 

 fuscous-brown nervular marks on lower half. Under side. — Bather 

 glossy, much pialcr ; dull brownish-ochrcous, with a tinge of yellow ; 

 base and margins of fore-wing clouded with whitish. Fore-wing : 

 vitreous marks as above ; a whitish spot at extremity of cell ; an 

 indistinct submarginal row of whitish dots. Hind-wing : an addi- 

 tional white dot above that in cell, the two forming a short sub-basal 

 transverse streak ; white band commeuces very narrowly on costa ; 

 whitish at anal angle, extending along inner-marginal fold, sometimes 

 conspicuous ; submarginal whitish spots not apparent except between 

 second median nervule and submedian nervure, where they form a short 

 continuous streak. 



$ Like $, but generally rather duller and paler; cilia more dis- 

 tinctly varied, especially in fore-wing ; the vitreous spots larger. 



This butterfly belongs to the well-known European group contain- 

 ing Alcece, Esp., and Lavatcra^, Esp. ; it is nearer to the former in size, 

 colouring, and pattern of the fore-wings, but as regards the white spot 

 and band on the upper side of the hind-wings, exhibits some resem- 

 blance to the latter. A much closer ally, however, would appear 

 (judging from the description and a figure of the upper side in the 

 Lepidoptcra of Ceylon, p. 183, pi. 71, f. 7) to be the Cingalese 

 Albofasciata, Moore, in which there is little difference observable except 

 in the more uniform ground-colour of the wings, and the narrower, 

 longer, more regular, and more curved white band of the hind-wings.^ 



^ Perhaps a still more closely allied form is one collected on Mount Sinai by Mr. J. K. 

 Lord, of which I possess a pair, kindly presented to me by Prof. Meldola. These specimens 

 are worn, but evidently approach Elma very nearly, size and pattern being almost identical, 

 but the upper side and under side being alike nuich paler ; the cellular transparent mark in 

 the fore-wings, as well aa those near costa, wider ; the spot and band in the hind-wings less 

 distinct, the latter being narrower and prolonged to submedian nervure ; the submarginal row 

 of spots in the hind-wings more distinct and sinuate, and the discal stripe on the under side 



