25S NYMPHALID.^. SATYRIN^E. MELANITIS. 



to the costa of the forewing, is also a marked feature in this species. There is also a single 

 male from Shillong in Major Marshall's collection. The females are less easy to distinguish ; 

 they are as pale as M. ismene, but of a brighter brown, the forewing much more falcate ; 

 the ferruginous mark extends round the black patch and beyond it to the outer margin, which 

 is broadly suffused with ferniginous, but the distinctive feature is that this ferruginous mark 

 extends to, and is continued along the costa, which it never does in M. ismene. The under- 

 side of the male greatly resembles that of M. hela, to which it is closely allied ; that of the 

 female is chiefly remarkable for the bright ochreous tint which prevails, and in both sexes 

 the colouration is comparatively constant. We have specimens of the female from Sikkim, 

 from Shillong taken in November, from Pegu, and from Tenasserim taken in May and 

 October. 



251. MelanitiS Zitenius, Herbst. (Plate XII, Fig. 29 9). 



Pafilio zitenius, Herbst, Naturs. Schmett., vol. viii, p 5, pi. clxxxii, figs, i, 2 (1796); Melanitis vavtana, 

 Moore, Horsfield and Moore, Cat. Lep. E. I. C , vol. i, p. 223, n. 463 (1857), 



Habitat : Eastern Himalayas, Godavari District, Orissa, Burma, Andaman Isles. 



Expanse : 3-1 to 38 inches. 



Description : "Differs from Melanitis banksia [an African form of i^/. zjw«/^] in being 

 larger, the subapical ferruginous patch ovl'Cc\q foreiving occupying a larger space ; the deep black 

 patch extends to the costal nervure ; the upper white spots smaller, the lower being very 

 indistinct ; two white dots on the hinchving. Underside marked as in some specimens of 

 M. banksia." [Moore, 1, c.) 



This is the largest species of the genus, excluding M. constaniia, which has been generi- 

 cally separated under the name of IIiJ>io, and is conspicuous from its ochreous tone of 

 colouration, and the large extent of the fen-uginous markings near the apex of the forewing. 

 The white .spots on the upperside of the forewing are very variable in size, and are sometimes 

 enliiely obsolete. The male is rather darker than M. ismene, specimens from South India and 

 the Andamans being especially dark, and in these latter the ferruginous band is smaller and 

 better defined than in North Indian specimens, and without the white spots. In one specimen 

 the outer margin of the forewing is almost entire ; in another the falcaticn is no more 

 prominent than in typical specimens of M. leda. The band usually is interrupted by two black 

 marks, partially or entirely coalesced into a quadrate patch, and above this the band is 

 broadly defined at both edges by diffused black patches, the inner of which coalesces with 

 the quadrate patch on the band ; the margins are scarcely paler, and only slightly irrorated 

 with ashy. On the underside it is somewhat variable, but not nearly so much so as 

 M. ismene. The prevailing colour is generally grey, more or less variegated with ochreous 

 or fulvous, and irregularly mottled throughout with dark brown dots, here and there clustered 

 into patches ; the submarginal spots and the fasciae usually very indistinct, though sometimes 

 prominent. The female is larger and paler, with the forewing highly falcate ; the outer margins 

 more broadly irrorated with grey and mottled with dusky ; the ferruginous band wider and 

 extended narrowly along the costa ; it approaches very closely to the female of M. dinyodana, 

 but it is larger ; the white spots of the forewing are indistinct or altogether wanting, and the 

 ferruginous bar above the black patch extends much more obliquely to the costa. The under- 

 side is as in the male, but paler and generally much more ochreous or fulvous in tone, and 

 the dark mottlings much less profuse. 



M. zileniiis is found in the Eastern Himalayas, and the Khasi hills, and through Burma to 

 Tenasserim. We also have specimens from the Upper Godavery taken by Mr. C. B. Morris in 

 September, and from Khurda in Orissa, taken by Mr. W. C. Taylor. In Tenasserim it was 

 taken by Captain C. T. Bingham in the Thoungyeen forests in April ; in the South Andamans 

 taken by Mr. F. A. de Roepstorff in August ; and there are specimens from the Daflla hills 

 and from Sikkim and Yunan in the Indian Museun, Calcutta. 



The figure shows the upper and undersides of a female from Sikkim, in the Indian Museum, 

 Calcutta. 



