JSYCMSIDM. 241 



middle darker, much more regular, united at end of cell with 

 brown cloud ; the white spot enlarged to a broad whitish 

 inner-marginal space, and more deeply incising the cloud by 

 a conspicuous acute dash between first and second medians : 

 hind-marginal spots smaller, duller than in Lingeus, the lower 

 often obsolete. 



? . Cupreous-brown, more or less shot with violet from 

 bases ; or dull greyish-brown, without any violet lustre, 

 Fore-toing : an indistinct disco-cellular spot. Hind-wing : 

 black spot whitish-ringed, sometimes dusted with bluish- 

 silvery : indistinct traces of a hind-marginal row of whitish 

 rings or lunules. Under-side. — As in $ . 



Common. Open ground generally. 



Apparently throughout the year, but not noticed in May or July. 



Of this pretty little species I have two examples little more than seven 

 lines in expanse of wings — so that it is worthy of the pigmy distinction of 

 being held the smallest of the South African Butterflies. A greater 

 number of small specimens of L. Messapits are met with, on an average, bat 

 I have never found this species less than eight lines in expanse. Palemon 

 is a very low flier, and settles very frequently on low flowers. It seems to 

 prefer damp spots. 



Cape Town. Caledon (J. X. Merriman). Knysna. Plet- 

 tenberg Bay. — Coll. Tri. 



" From Graham's Town to King William's Town." — W. 

 D'Urban, in litt. 



Cape Town. Bashee River, Kaffraria (J. 11. Bowker). — 

 Coll. S. A. Mus. 



South Africa. — Coll. Brit. Mus. 



142. Lycsena Theophrastus. 



Hesperia Theophrastus, Fab., Fnt. Syst., Ill, 1, p. 281, 



[n. 82. 



Polyommatus Theophrastus, Godt,, Enc. Meth., IX, p. 658. 



Lycaana Theophrastus, Horsf., Cat. Lep. E. I. C. Mies., 



[p. 73, 



Exp. 9 in. — 1 in. 



S . Glistening violet-blue, with a narrow blackish kind- 

 marginal edging : cilia white. Fore-wi?ig : a thin, blackish, 

 costal line ; a conspicuous broad, blackish lunule closing cell. 

 Hind-wiyig : between second and third median nervules a 

 blackish hind-marginal spot ; hind-marginal blackish inwardly 

 edged with a white line. Under-side. — White, with black 

 strice and spots : in each wing — a streak along lower edge of 

 costal nervure, twice as long in fore-wing as in hind-wing, — 

 a streak closing cell, — an irregular, much curved and inter- 

 rupted, transverse row of narrow spots lather beyond middle 



