LYC/ENITLE. 141 



AMomen short, thick, but terminally rather acute. 



Larva. — Broad, very convex dorsally ; each segment from second 

 to ninth inclusive with a dorsal hump, most prominent on fourth, eighth, 

 and ninth segments. Lateral margins of body widened so as to com- 

 pletely conceal head and legs from above. Food-plant, species of Ficus. 



Pupa. — Stout and broad (not unlike a contracted larva in general 

 form), constricted about middle ; thorax very bluntly ridged on the 

 back ; abdomen very broad and globose. Attached to leaves or bark 

 horizontally, by the tail only. 



I follow Mr. W. F. Kirby in restoring the West- African Silenus, 

 Fab. (= Alcidcs, Cram.), to its original position as the type of the 

 Fabrician genus Myrina, placing with it the closely-allied African species 

 M. Jicccliila, Trim., and dermaptera, Wallengr. ; but I think it very 

 questionable whether these butterflies can be identified generically with 

 the Indian species (Aiymnus, Cram., and allies) typical of Horsfield's 

 genus Loxura. The latter are not only of much slenderer structure 

 throughout, but have the palpi much thinner and longer, and present 

 a very different neuration in part of the fore-wings, the radial nervules 

 not originating together, but far apart, so that while the upper disco- 

 cellular nervule is very short, the middle one (separating the radials) is 

 of a srood length, indeed as long as the lower one. 



The two species found in South Africa are very strongly-made 

 little butterflies, with robust bodies and thick legs and wings, J/. Jicc- 

 dula more so than AI. dcrmaptcra. The former is readily distinguished 

 by its larger size and chestnut-red or ferruginous apical and hind- 

 marginal space in the fore-wings ; it is also much more widely dis- 

 tributed over South Africa, M. dermaptera being only hitherto known 

 from the coast of Natal and Zululand. Though capable of rapid flight 

 for short distances, these Myrincv do not seem to use their wings much, 

 sitting very closely to their favourite perches among the wild and culti- 

 vated fig-trees, but occasionally visiting other plants. I have found M. 

 ficedida sucking the fruit of the cultivated fig, and also the moisture 

 exuding from wounds on a large kind of Acacia. 



19L (1.) Myrina ficedula, Trimen. 



$ Loxura Alcides, Boisd., Sp. Gen. Lep., i. pi. 22, f. 3 (1836). 



„ „ Wallengr., K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl., 1857,— Lep. 



Rhop. Caffr., p. 34. 

 S 9 „ „ Trim., [part], Rhop. Afr. Aust., ii. p. 219, n. 125 



(1866). 

 S ? Myviiia ficedida, Trim., Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1879, p. 324. 



Exp. al, Q) I in. 2^-7 lin. ; ($) I in. 6-7^ lin. 



Black, ivith very large hasi-discal space of intense metallic tdtra- 

 marine-Uue in loth wings; fore-wing with an apical hind-marginal 

 ferruginous patch. Fore-vnng : blue occupies inner margin and dis- 



