390 SOUTH-AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



This Lyccena on the upper side most resembles L. ignota, Trim., 

 but is much darker, and presents no trace of the ordinary hind- 

 marginal spot near the anal angle of the hind-wings ; moreover, the 

 pure white of its cilia makes a conspicuous distinction. This last 

 feature gives it something of the aspect of L. Mcthymna, Trim., but the 

 broad nervular interruptions of brown, so constant in the latter variable 

 species, are wanting. On the under side Pcphredo differs altogether 

 from Ignota, as well in its ashy-grey ground- tint as in the remarkable 

 development of its discal white baud and the irregular obsolescence or 

 failure of many of its ordinary markings. It looks, indeed, like a 

 " sport " of Niohc, Trim., and as such I should probably have regarded 

 any solitary example, until further material had demonstrated that the 

 upper side was the same in both sexes, and dark greyish-brown instead 

 of violaceous in the ^, and varying from violaceous to reddish-brown in 

 the $. 



I owe the knowledge of this addition to the South-African butter- 

 fly fauna to Mr. C. W. Morrison, who, in October and December 1888, 

 most kindly sent me from Estcourt, Natal, the five ^ s and one $ of 

 which I have given the above description. Mr. Morrison informs nie 

 that he took about a dozen of this species, and that it had a more sus- 

 tained flight and was more wary than L. Mcthymna, which occurred in 

 the same locality. 



Locality of Lyccena Pcjjhrcdo. 



I. South Africa. 

 E. Natal. 



h. Upper Districts. — Estcourt (C W. Morrison). 



Genus LYCiENESTHES. 



386. (7.) Lycaenesthes Mahota, H. G. Smith. 



Lyccencsthes Mahota, 11. G. Smith, Ann. and Mag, Nat. Hist., 5th Ser., xix. 

 p. 65 (1887). 



" 'U];)peT side. — Both wings orange-brown. Anterior wings with 

 the base, costal margin, the upper part of the cell, and the exterior 

 margin broadly dark-brown. Posterior wings with the base, the costal, 

 exterior, and inner margins, two spots near the anal angle, and an 

 interrupted submarginal line dark-brown. 



" Under side. — Both wings greyish-brown, lighter in the middle, 

 with the orange colour showing through, crossed with several bands, of 

 Avhite and two white submarginal lines. Posterior wings with two 

 spots near the anal angle, both irrorated with silver, the spot farthest 

 from the angle bordered on three sides with orange. 



" Expanse i^ inch." 



Mr. Smith kindly showed me his types of this species, and I ascer- 



