2S2 NYMPHALID^. SATYRIN^. MELANITIS. 



The most striking feature of the genus Melanilis is the extent to which the outer mar- 

 gin of the forewing is falcated or produced into a point below the tip of the lower discoidal 

 nervule ; this falcation varies much, being scarcely traceable in some specimens of M. leda and 

 asiua, but in most of the species it is very prominent. The extreme shortness of the middle dis- 

 co-cellular nervule of the forewing is another well-marked character, the two discoidal nervules 

 originating close together just below the subcostal nervule ; the nearest approach to this cha- 

 racter being in Rhaphicera. 



The Butterflies of this genus are of dull colouration, and moderately large size ; the usual 

 colour is some shade of brown on the upperside, variegated in many species with black and 

 ferruginous towards the apex of the forewing, with one or two white spots ; the underside is 

 in some species extremely variable, showing every variety of autumnal tint, and in all cases 

 beautifully harmonising with the dead leaves among which the insects generally settle. They 

 shun the sunshine, and are found in shady forests or secluded spots in gardens, but always 

 under the shade of trees or bushes ; they are almost crepuscular in their habits, being active 

 on the wing only towards sunset. They feed on juices, and numbers may be found crowding 

 round slits in the bark of fruit trees when the sap exudes, and where date palms are found 

 they may often be observed in large numbers imbibing the juice of the trees when cut for toddy. 



The genus Melanitis is widely distributed in the Indian region, one or two species being 

 found commonly almost everywhere ; in the hills they do not ascend to any great elevation, 

 and north of the Himalayas they are unknown, but a few species are found in Africa, and 

 others extend through the Malay Archipelago to Australia and China. The great variation shown 

 by these insects renders it difficult to define the species ; great differences of opinion on this 

 point have naturally resulted. Mr. Kirby includes the whole of the Indian species as varieties 

 of M. leda ; but so far as we can see at present there are several quite distinct forms. 



243- Melanitis leda, Linnasus. (Plate I). 

 Papiliohda, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., vol. i, pt. ii, p. 773, n. 151 (1767); id., Drury, Ex. Ins., vol. i, pi. xv, 

 figs. 5, 6 (1773); id., Cramer, Pap. Exot., vol. iii, pi. cxcvi, figs. C, D (:779) ; Oreas martnorata leda, Hubner, 

 Samml. exot. Schmett., vol. I, pi. xci, figs. 1—4 (1806-1816) ; Melattitis leda, Fabricius, III. Mag., vol. vi, p. 282 

 (1807) ; id., Moore, Lep. Cey., vol. i, p. 15, pl. x, figs, i, i^, male; la, female (1880) ; id., Distant, Rhop. Malay., 

 p. 41, pl. iv, fig. 10 (1882), male; Hipio leda, Hubner, Verz. bek. Schmett., p. 56, n. 538 (1816); Satyrus leda, 

 Godart, Enc. Me'th., vol. ix, p. 478, n. 4 (1S19) ; Hipparchia leda, Horsfield, Cat. Lep. E. I. C, pl. viii, figs. 9, 

 larva; 9 a, pupa ; 9 b—h, structure of imago (1829) ; Cyllo leda, Butler, Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist., third 

 series, vol. xii, p. 51 (1867); id , Hewitson, Journ. Linn. Soc. Lond., Zoology, vol. viii, p. 144 (1864) 



Habitat : Throughout India, Burma, the Malay Peninsula, Ceylon, Andaman Isles, and 

 the Malay Archipelago to China. 



Expanse : 2-5 to 3-1 inches. 



Description : Male and female : Upperside uniform, somewhat pale brown. Forewing 

 with two rounded black spots, the lower the larger, confluent and placed midway between the 

 end of the cell and the outer margin, one on either side of the third median nervule. The 

 lower spot is centred with pure white, the upper one has a somewhat larger white spot on its 

 outer margin. The black spots are very obscurely more or less surrounded with ferruginous, 

 and there is a very diffused black patch between the upper one and the costa, and another 

 similar patch internal to it, extending into the end of the cell, these two patches being divided 

 by a very obscure ferruginous bar. IJindwing with a series of submarginal ocelli, varying in 

 number and distinctness coincident with the ocelli on the underside, black with white pupils 

 and ochreous irides. Underside much paler, uniformly striated throughout with darker 

 brown. Forewing with from three to five submarginal ocelli, the one between the upper 

 median nervules always the largest and further removed from the margin. Htndwing with six 

 more or less distinct ocelli, the upper one the largest, the remainder gradually increasing to the 

 fifth which is nearly as large as the first, the sixth at the anal angle smaller, often bipupilled, 

 sometimes geminate ; all the ocelli on both wings black with white (sometimes irrorated 

 with blue) pupils, yellow irides, and dark brown outer ring. 



Typically there are no fascine on the underside, but in some cases the strire coalesce 

 into dark bands from the costa of the forewing, the first reaching the outer angle, the second 

 continued as a discal band across both wings, and with other abbreviated and less distinct 



