386 SOUTH-AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



of the wino-s, and a submargiual row of similai' spots from near the 

 costa to the inner mai'gin, the lower half of the two rows becoming 

 confluent, the two submarginal spots near the apex nearly white. 

 Posterior wings with a broad central band of violet-blue, suffused with 

 white from the second subcostal nervule to the abdominal fold near 

 the anal angle ; above this band are two pairs of violet-blue spots, a 

 submarginal row of seven small spots, and a row of elongated spots 

 on the margin on each side of the nervules, all violet-blue suffused 

 with white. $ Anterior wings with a broad curved band across the 

 centre of the wings from the costa to the inner margin, and two white 

 transverse spots near the apex. Posterior wings : the inner half, from 

 near the base, white, suffused with violet, a submarginal row of small 

 white spots, and a marginal white line intercepted by the nervures, 

 both suffused with violet. 



" Under side. — Both wings as in Ch. Ciihccron, except that the 

 central black line across both wings, which is broadly bordered on 

 the outside with white, is straight and continuous, not irregular and 

 interrupted as in Cithccron. This species on the upper side has a 

 general resemblance to Cithceron ; it is more violet-blue, and is smaller 

 in size, particularly the female, which is not so large as the male Cithceron, 

 while the under side of both sexes is very distinct from Cithceron. 



" Exp. 3-g- inches. 



" ^a&.— Delagoa Bay." 



In the absence of any examples of this close ally of Cithccron, Feld., 

 I give Mr. H. Grose Smith's original description from the Journal 

 quoted. Judging from the figures of the upper side of the $ and the 

 under side of both sexes more recently (op. cit.) published by Mr. Smith, 

 it appears that in the ^ the violet-blue spots are in their deeper tint 

 more like those of the ^ Xiphares, Cram., although the violet-blue 

 band of the hind-wings is, as regards width and the white suffusion 

 in its inferior part, more like that of Cithccron. It is also noteworthy 

 that on the under side, although the thin blue-black transverse striae 



Mr. H. Grose Smith, adding, " Mr. Smith sayss, ' The blue band is much wider than in Etesipe, 

 and the tails are larger ; ' — when he sees the original I shall know if the difference is due 

 to my hurried sketch." This drawing represented a <J Charaxes evidently very close to, 

 if not identical with, U. Etesipe of Godart, a beautiful West- African species, which has a 

 blue-shot black upper side, bearing a common submarginal series of pale-blue spots, and 

 also a few white spots on the fore-wings, and a strikingly handsome under side of creamy- 

 white and ferruginous markings on a grey ground further varied with black spots. Before 

 returning the drawing to Mrs. Monteiro, I noted that the greater width of the blue sub- 

 mai-ginal macular band was represented as in the hind-wings only. This feature is charac- 

 teristic in a more marked degree of the Madagascar representative of Etesipe named by 

 Hewitson Cactithis {Exot. Butt., iii. pi. 32, ff. 12, 13, 1863) ; and, as far as I could judge 

 from the drawing referred to, the Delagoa Bay form must be intermediate between Etesipe 

 and Cacuthis. I learn from Mr. Grose Smith that he has not found any example of this 

 butterfly in the collections which reached him from Delagoa Bay ; but Mrs. Monteiro's 

 drawing leaves no doubt of the occurrence of the species in that locality. It is especially 

 desirable to procure the $ of the Delagoa Bay insect, as that sex differs greatly on the 

 upper side in the West- African and Madagascar allies. 



