172 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
loealities for dara, but I cannot say for certain to which one of 
the group they refer. It usually settles on grass by the 
roadsides, but visits flowers in bright sunshine. 
2nd, Mesioides—This is a small form. I think it is either 
the one described by Evans as Tropica satra, or a closely allied 
race. He describes the clasp as ending in a bluntly triangular 
point, but all [ have examined show a distinct spine at the 
apex of the triangle. See Pl. 5, figs. 5 and 6. 
The yellow band is almost always continuous, the spots in 
4 and 5 being joined to both the discal and apical series ; it, 
however, varies greatly in width. The band on the hind wing 
is not divided by brown lines along the veins. There is almost 
invariably a large spot in 7, but very rarely one in 6. In the 
female the yellow markings are much reduced, and the spots 
in 4 and 5 are not always joined to the apical series. I have 
one aberration of the female, in which the spots in 4 and 5 are 
quite obsolete, and the discal band almost so. I took it at 
Anuradhapura in company with normal specimens. 
It is not so plentiful as pseudomesa at Haldummulla, but is 
very abundant in the Galle District. I have also taken it at 
Vavuniya and Mannar. 
3rd, Dara ?—This is intermediate in size between the two 
last. The male closely resembles pseudomxsa female ; in 
fact, I had placed it as such in my collection till I noticed the 
sex mark. This, in all Ceylon forms, is a deep black streak of 
specialized scales above the middle of vein 1 of the fore wing. 
Elwes and Edwards have overlooked this. The yellow band 
is very narrow, and the spots in 4 and 5 are well separated 
from both the discal and apical series. There is a spot in 7, 
but none in 6. The band on the hind wing is not divided by 
brown lines. The female has the yellow markings greatly 
reduced, and the band on the hind wing is broken up by brown 
lines along the veins. The under side of the hind wing in both 
sexes has a very distinctive greenish tinge, which is, I believe, 
typical of dara. The prehensores differ slightly from those 
of pseudomexsa, but the differences appear to be constant ; 
however, I have so far only been able to dissect four males. 
See Pl. 5, figs. 7 and 8. It may prove to be only a seasonal 
form of pseudomesa. 
