122 Mr. Butler's descriptions of 



DrEPANULID/E. 



19. Argyris suj)erans, n. sp. 



Allied to A. plagiata, of Japan, and A. deliaria, from Eastern 

 Siberia, but considerably larger, with the ocelloid patch on the 

 primaries perfectly ronnd, enclosing an imperfect circle of un- 

 equal black spots separated by the nervures, and in the centre 

 a silver-grey patch, bounded internally by an angular Avhite 

 line and behind by a streak of black scales, it is sprinkled ex- 

 ternally with metallic silver scales ; sub-marginal rows of spots 

 as in A. plagiata, not confused together as in A. deliaria', 

 secondaries nearly as in .4. plagiata, but owing to their greater 

 size the ocelloid patch is further from the outer margin. Exjjanse 

 of wings GO mm. 



Yozo (H. Pryer). 



Some time since I discovered that the genus Argi/ris had been 

 wrongly located by Guenee in the Geometi-idcv, it being not only 

 structurally closely allied to C///a: but even having the same colora- 

 tion and aspect; since then Mr. Moore has figured and described 

 the larva and imago of a nearly allied genus — Teldenia* from 

 Ceylon ; the larva is similar to that of Cerura, but not so large 

 in front, and, in fact, is what one would expect to see in the 

 Drepannlida'; ]\[r. Pryer, however, in a letter recently received, 

 says of ' Ai-gyris' superba : — '' This, as you say, is undoubtedly 

 not a Geometra; I immediately captured a lot and hatched the 

 larva (sic), and they are very hairy Bomhyciform larva {sic), 

 and do not elevate the last pair of claspers, and are, therefore, 

 not Drepanulida^. I unfortunately could not get them to feed 

 up, as I do not know the right food plant, liut I hope to find a 

 full fed larva before the season is over." 



In the above remarks ^Ir. Pryer shows that he lias paid little 

 attention to recent labours in the rearing of Lepidoptera, or he 

 would have known that no decision respecting the location of a 

 genus can be founded upon the first stage of a larva ; a cater- 

 pillar when first excluded from the egg may be covered Avith 

 hail', but in its last stage may be almost smooth; the larva of 

 Drepana falcula, however, is hairy; then again with regard to 

 the habit of elevating the last pair of claspers, it is well known 



* A second species referred to this geuus by Moore occurs in Dar- 

 jiling. and so closely resembles a Coryria in appearance that I des- 

 cribed it as belonging to that genus, and even now am not convinced 

 that the resemblance in colour and pattern in the two species is more 

 than accidental; imfortunately I do not possess the Ceylon species. 



