I20 NYMPHALID/E. SATYRIN^. MYCALESIS. 



figure of that species, and from an examination of the Malaccan specimens thus identified in 

 the British Museum I certainly incline to the opinion that such are but varieties of AI. minais, 

 and that the true M. polydeita, Cramer, cannot, as such, be at present included in this fauna," 

 It is doubtful whether this species really occurs in India either. The specimens from Burma 

 noted above appear to us to be varieties of minetts rather than of polydeda, and they confirm 

 Distant's view. 



A description of M. polydcda from Cramer's figure of that species is appended for 

 reference.* 



An allied species, M. 7iaiitihts,-\ occurs in Malacca. 



99. Mycalesis porseus, Fabricius. 



PapiUo Perseus, F.ibricius, Syst. Eiit., p. 488, n. 199 {ijys^, /<'>""^f ! 'J-. Donovan, Ins. New Holl.ind, 

 pi. xxv't, fig. 3 (1805); Mycalt-sis perseus, Butler, Proc. Zool Soc. Loncl., 1867, p. 719, n. 2 ; p. 718, fig. 2 ; idem, 

 id., Cat. Lep. B. RI , Satyridie, p. 133 (1868) ; idem, id., Cat. Fabr. Lep. B. M.,p. 33, n. 5 (1869); Papilio oitca, 

 Cramer, Pap. Ex., vol. iv, pi. cccxiv, figs. A, B (\^%o), female ; Papilio taHtha, Fabricius, Ent. Syst., vol. iii, 

 pt. i, p. 243, n. 756 (1793) ; Satyrns zopyrus, Kollar, in Hugel's Kashmir, vol. iv, pt. 2, p. 450, n. 8 (1844) ; 

 Calysismepeyscus, Moore, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1880, p. 163; idem, id., Lep. Cey., p. 21, pi xii, figs. i. la 

 (18S0), male ; Mycalcsis visnla, Moore, Horsfield and Moore, Cat. Lep. E. L C, vol. i, p. 230, n. 488 (1857) ; 

 Calyshme visala, Moore, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1880, p. 164 ; Calysisnte suhfasciata, Mooie, Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 Lend , 1882, p. 237, pi. xii, fig. 8 ; Calysisme mdistans, Moore, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1880, p. 164. 



Habitat: India, Burma, Ceylon, Andamans. 



Expanse: ^,175 to 2-0; ?, 2-0 to 2-4 inches. 



Description: *' Papilio danai festivi. Wings most entire, fuscous. Underside with 

 ocellular dots ; forewing with three, hindiving with seven. Body fuscous immaculate. Fore- 

 wing fuscous, sometimes immaculate, sometimes with a small ocellus with white pupil before 

 the outer margin. ///«^/ew/^ fuscous immaculate. Underside. Both iviugs fuscous at the 

 base, paler outwardly. ForeTuiiig with three dots. Hiitdwing with seven, white, subocellular. 

 Habitat : In Nova Hollandia. Mus. Banks." {Fabricius, 1. c. in Syst. Ent.) 



M. perseus is the commonest of all the Mycalcsis in India, and has a wider range than 

 even 31. mittens, being found in the north from Burma to Kashmir ; and with the exception 

 of the hot dry plains of the Punjab, it is found throughout continental and also peninsular 

 India extending to Ceylon. It is even more variable than I\I. mineus, showing great diver- 

 gencies in form and size, as well as in colour and markings. There are three well-marked 

 varieties, M. visala, M. suhfasciata, and M. indistans, which are usually accepted as distinct 

 species, and which, in certain localities, are widely distinct from the typical M. perseus as it 

 there co-exists with them ; but an examination of large series of specimens from different 

 parfs of the empire leads us to the conclusion that these specific separations cannot be main- 

 tained, and pending the discovery of the earlier stages of each form, they must all be considered 

 for the present as varieties more or less specialised of M. perseus. 



Typical M. perseus is a small insect, with the apex of the forewing rounded, not sharply 

 angled. The ocellus of the forewing on the upperside is placed between the first and second 



* niycahsis f>olydecta, Cramer. \^^mT^r•. Tranquebar. Exi-akse : 2-2 inches. Description : Upper- 

 side deep brown, outwardly somewhat p.-iler ; the margins ochreous, with the usual sinuous dark fine lines. 

 'Forcwhio vi\t\\ a medium-sized ocelUis between the second and third mcdiam nervules. Hinduun^^ w\th two 

 smaller o'celli between the median nervules the uoper the smaller of the two. All these ocelli black, with white 



nupil and ochreous iris. Unokrsidr with the basal area as dark as on the upperside, and bounded by a white 

 medium fascia on both wings, the ground-colour much paler beyond. The margin ochreous with two sinuous 

 darker lines. Fofewinc with four equal-sized small ocelli Himhoing with seven ocelli, all but the fourth 

 and fifth, which are a little larger, equal in size to those on the forewing. The ground-colour of the outer border 

 is p-ile brown, thickly irrorated with darker brown within the row of ocelli, and beyond it whitish, as far as 

 the inner dark line on the forewing, and extending to the outer dark line on the hindwing. (Cramer, Pap., Ex. 

 pi cxliv, figs, E, F (1777)- 



t Mycalesis nautilus, Butler. Habitat : Malacca. Expanse : i 87 to 2'i2 inches. Description : " Upprr- 

 sinn dilute i\i9,co\iS\ forewing with three blackish ocelli with scarcely perceptible iris, pupilled with white, 

 of which two are small, subapical, and the third discal ; /(/«^7(i/«^ with w.avy marginal fuscous lines, and a 

 small bla^'kish subanal ocellus with fulvous iris ; the /'Crt'^ a'^hy fuscous. Unhl-rside paler, with the margins .as 

 in il/- milieus ; a silvery median fascia, defined with fuscous inwardly and dllTused outwardly ; a fuscous sub- 

 b.asal line .-ilmost entire ; forewing with five distinct ocelli ; the fifth much the larger, arranged in a straight series ; 

 hin.hvine with seven ocelli, the first and fourth larger, the fifth largest, the seventh smallest, .arranged in an 

 arched series; the hody ochreous-fuscous. The sexes differ ouly in siz.e. Closely allied to .(1/.yrt««nr^n«rj, 

 but differing in many essential characters." (Butler, Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist , third series, vol. xx, p. 402, 

 pi. ix, fig. 7 (1867); Calysisme nautilus, Moore, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1S80, p. 162). 



