NYMI'IIALIXAE: VANESSA ATALAXTA. 443 



is diminished by a large, blaclvish r>pot less tliaii an interspace distant from the borilei-, 

 in the middle of this orange border, in the middle of each interspace, is a small, 

 roundish, black spot or dot, replaced in the medio-subrnedian interspace b.v a large, 

 narrow, transverse, black spot crossing tlie whole interspace and largely dotted along 

 the nu(UUe with pale blue scales often forming a double spot; the inner boi'der is 

 blackish as far as ti»e outer margin and is (U)tted just above tlie interior extrenuty of 

 the spot just mentioned with very pale blue scales, forming a streak as long as that 

 previously mentioned. There is a luirrow, submarginal line of black scales in the 

 medio-suljmedian interspace and occasionally to a slight degree in the other interspaces. 

 Fringe white, interrupted narrowly with black at the nervure tips. 



Beneath, the fore v-inr/s are lustrous purplish black, the mesial l)and and bordering 

 cellular spot repeated beneath, but the band of a rose-red colour, excepting beloAV, <>u 

 the greater portion of the medio-submedian interspace, where it is dull yellow; and 

 above, including the upper margin of the cell and sometimes the exterior third of the 

 l)ortionof the band contained within the cell, wliere it is pale, bluish nacreous, tinged 

 with yellow on the costal edge and costal nervure; the costal margin within the l)an(l 

 is transversely and largely banded with delicate stripes of pale metallic blue ; and a 

 narrow curved streak of the same crosses the middle of the basal half of the cell, en- 

 larging downward; the extreme base of the cell, especially along the subcostal ner- 

 vure, and the base of the costal edge are sprinkled with brownish and suuff-colored 

 scales ; the white ti'ansverse costal baud of the upper surface and the curving row of 

 white spots are also repeated beneath, but the band has become of a very pale bluisli 

 white, yellowish at the costal edge, and the upper crescent shaped spot is replaced by 

 a white dot in each interspace, encircled by dai'k reddish brown, — all much more con- 

 spicuous in the upper of the tAvo ; the two succeeding spots are also partially encircled 

 by mingled metallic green and metallic blue scales in a blackish fuscous field, fol- 

 loAved interiorly by a semicirclet of pale blue, brown and yellow scales, capped by a 

 similar, delicate, transverse semicircle of purplish black scales; midway between the 

 costal bar and the median band, but widely separated from both and reaching from the 

 costal margin to the median nervure, is a very large, irregularly quadrate patch of 

 metallic blue, enclosing a large black field, partially powdered with blue. Beyond the 

 transverse costal l)ar and above the lowest subcostal nervule the wing is diflerently 

 colored; the upper two white dots are in a small, quadrate, costal lield of yellowish 

 white, mostly yellowish exteriorly, Avhite interiorly: between this and the transverse 

 l)and the costal margin is pui'plish black andbroAvnish fuscous. Avith a small, median, 

 costal, yellowish spot ; the costal band is narrowly edged e.xternally Avith pux-plisli 

 black, beyond Avhich, as far as the spots in the loAver tAvo subcostal interspaces, 

 broAvuish fuscous scales are succeeded by and partially irrorate Avith those of a yelloAv- 

 ish fuscous colour; beyond the upper Avhite dots, each of the interspaces is filled half 

 Avay to the margin Avith a large brownish. somcAvhat greenish, fuscous spot, edged ex- 

 ternally Avith an iuAvard opening crescent of reddish broAvn. Tlie outer margin is 

 narrowly edged Avith dull, broAvnish yelloAv, interrupted at the nervui'e tips, very 

 broadly beloAv and also in the loAA^est subcostal interspace. Avitli black, more or less 

 enlivened Avith reddish ; this is folloAved by a more or less interrupted or obsolete, 

 Avhitish or bluish Avliite, or clouded. narroAv stripe, most distinct in the subcosto- 

 median and upper median interspaces, broadest in the upper subcostal interspaces, 

 Avhere it meets the markings ah'eady described ; this stripe i^ sepai'ated from tiie 

 marginal edging by a narroAv l)lack line, interrupted on the nervures. represented on 

 tlie upper subcostal interspaces only by a central dot in each interspace: in the lowest 

 suljcostal, the sul)costo-median and in part in the upper median interspaces, this is 

 folloAved after a black edging by a narroAv stripe of metallic green scales, some of 

 Avhicli are sometimes seen in the penultimate subcostal interspace. Fringe white, in- 

 terrupted abruptly ami rather broadly at the nervure tips Avith black. Hind irhnjs 

 greatly varied; the basal color is made up of a commingling of pale broAvn andbroAvn- 

 ish fuscous scales, all slightly tinged Avith olivaceous; the extreme base of tlie cell 

 and of the costo-subcostal interspace is tilled Avitii black scales, having a common 



