26 SOUTH-AFEICAX BUTTERFLIES. 



which the species was founded are stated by Godart to have been taken by 

 M. Jules Verreaux about Table Mountain, and the description he gives accords 

 very nearly with numerous examples collected by myself in the same locality. 

 The true Asteris has not to my knowledge been found away from the Cape 

 peninsula, but it has a very close ally inhabiting various parts of the Colony, 

 — L. Ortijgia, mihi, — of which I once took an example at Wynberg, near 

 Cape Town, where true Asteris is particularly prevalent. 



This LyciV?ia appears in the later spring and early summer ; I have not 

 noticed it until the later half of October or after the end of December. Both 

 sexes are conspicuous on the wing, and the male has a sustained rather swift 

 and irregular flight. They frequent both hills and low ground in spots well 

 clothed with grass and shrubs ; they do not appear to visit flowers very often, 

 but are fond of resting on the stems of grasses, — in which latter position I 

 have sometimes succeeded in catching them with my fingers. They are 

 rather local, but often numerous where they occur. 



Localities of Lycama Asteris. 



I. South Africa. 

 B. Cape Colony. 



a. Western Districts. — Cape Town. Noord Hoch' and tSimon's 

 Town, 



126. (8.) Lycsena Ortygia, sp. nor. 



$ 9 Lyciena Asteris, Trim, [part], Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1870, p. 361. 



Exp. al, Q) I in. 4h-6h lin. ; (?) i in. 64-7 f liu. 



Closely allied to L. Asteris, (Goclt.) 



^ Violaccous-hlne, considerably lighter than in Asteris; terminal 

 disco-cellular lunules and kind-marginal markings similar but better 

 defined ; cilict white, regularly and hroadly interrupted with fuscous 

 at extremities of ncrvules, throughout. Hind-wing : no yellow lunule 

 adjoining inner-marginal black spot between first and second median 

 nervules ; no tail. Under side. — Paler than in Asteris, the discal and 

 submarginal markings very little darker than the ground-colour; ter- 

 minal disco-cellular marks and discal rows much narrower, the latter 

 rather widely sejxcrated (except at its lower extremity in fore-vniig) from 

 the inner submarginal row of lohite lunules. Fore- wing : discal row 

 curving slightly inward as far as third median nervule, but its lowest 

 spot (which has none of the inward prolongation so frequent in 

 Asteris) more outwardly placed, so that its external white edge almost 

 meets the lowest white lunule of the inner row ; space between two 

 rows of lunules narrower and more broken than in Asteris ; outer row 

 scarcely forming rings with white hind-marginal line, — no suffusion at 

 posterior angle. Hind-icing : basal streak and sub-basal row of four 

 spots as in Asteris, but the latter larger and much more conspicuous ; 

 first (costal) spot of discal row, as well as last, round and black like the 

 sub-basal ones, instead of brown ; inner submarginal lunules much 

 blunter and thicker, outer ones much blunter biit thinner ; hind- 



