2 SOUTH-AFRICAX EUTTERFLIES. 



Their flight is of short duration, but in some is very slow and Lazy, 

 wliile in others it is excessively rapid. A large number of the genera 

 have the custom (found also in many Hespcrida)) of settling with 

 expanded wings on the under side of leaves near the ground ; while 

 many others hold the wings vertically in repose, and a few perch on 

 the upper surface of leaves with the wings only half elevated. Very 

 few species were noticed to frequent flowers. 



The Family is essentially Neo-Tropical, and especially abundant in 

 the Equatorial zone. With the exception of the Lihijthcincc — a small 

 but cosmopolitan Sub-Family — the only members found in the Old 

 World belong to the NcmcoMinK, and it is remarkable that one of 

 these, the well-known Ncmeobius Lucina, prevails widely in Europe, 

 and is not uncommon in England. More than two-thirds of the known 

 species belong to the EnjciRinw, a Sub-Family which, unlike the Eunj- 

 gonino', has a few representatives to the north of Mexico. 



Very few species of Erycinidcv have been found in the Ethiopian 

 Region, viz., three Lihythcvina: and three Ncmcobiinm. The former are 

 Lihytlica Zahdaca, Westw., of Western Africa ; L. Zaius, Trim., of the 

 Eastern and South-Eastern Coast ; and L. Cinyras, Trim., of Madagascar 

 and Mauritius ; the latter, all of a single genus likewise, are Ahisara 

 Gcrontcs (Fab.), and A. Tantalus, Hewits., of Western Africa, and 

 A. Tcpalii (Boisd.), of Madagascar. No representative of the latter 

 group has hitherto been met with in South Africa, and the solitary 

 Erycinide known to inhabit this wide tenitory is the Lihytlica Zaius 

 just mentioned. 



Sub-Family— LIBYTH^INiE. 



Lihythides, Boisd., Sp. Gen. Leji., i. p. 167 (1S36). 

 Libytlieidce, Westw., Gen. Diurn. Lep., ii. p. 412 (185 1). 

 Lihythcpince, Bates, Journ. Ent., 1861, p. 220; 1864, p. 176. 



Imago. — Head rather wide, densely hairy above and frontally ; 

 eyes smooth ; jj^a/^^i extremely long, deep at base, closely approximated, 

 projecting horizontally, very densely clothed with scales and hair 

 throughout, but especially on middle joint, — basal joint very small, — 

 middle joint of moderate length, rather swollen and rounded, — terminal 

 joint very much elongated, slender ; antcnnm short and thick, with a 

 gradually or very gradually formed subcylindrical club, blunt at the tip. 



Thorax rather robust, clothed superiorly with scales and hairs — • 

 the latter long posteriorly, — inferiorly with short dense hair ; ptcrygodes 

 longer than usual, hairy. Eore-wings : with costa slightly arched ; 

 apex squarely acute ; hind-margin slightly dentated, more or less 

 strongly angulated on lower radial nervule, below which it is deeply 

 emarginate, but is usually j^rominent again about extremity of first 

 median nervule ; inner margin nearly straight ; costal nervure short, 

 ending about middle of costa j first subcostal nervule originating at 



