NYMPIIALID.E. MORPHIN/E. AMATIIUSIA. 291 



not to that described by DouLleday. In 1865 Dr. Felder described another species, A. por- 

 f/ietis ; and in 1869 Mr. A. G. Butler pointed out the difTerences between the ^. rtwj'///r7o« 

 as described by Doubleday, and as figured by Westwood, and gave to Westwood's figure the 

 name of A. 7vest7voo(iii, remarking at the same time that A. porthcics, Felder, was probably the 

 true A. amythaoit, male, of Doubleday. 



So far as recent experience goes, but a single species of this group is positively known to 

 occur in Indian limits, and this specie3, of which we possess several specimens of both sexes, 

 corresponds exactly with the description of A. poriheus, Felder. We have seen no specimens 

 of either of the other species, and we have no certain knowledge as to where specimens 

 exist. Judging from the descriptions and figures only, the distinctions between the three 

 species are of two kinds : (i) the sexual tufts and patches in the male ; {2) the shape and extent 

 of the transverse blue fiscia of the forewing. As regards the first point, the evidence is 

 chiefly negative and cannot be relied on ; all that we can say is that for A. amythaon. Double- 

 day makes no mention whatever of any tufts or patches. Westwood says : *' The internal basal 

 portion of the hindwing is clothed with long jet black velvety scales, and there is a tuft of 

 elongate brown hairs opposite the middle of the abdomen" ; (Gen. D. L., vol. ii, p. 327), but 

 his remarks probably apply to A. ivestwoodii and not to the true A. amythaoit. For 

 A. -westwoodii, Westwood makes no special mention of the tufts in the description, while in the 

 figure he shows the tuft below the submedian nervure greatly developed, but no discal patch of 

 velvety scales. For A. portheus, Felder correctly describes the tuft and velvety patch of the 

 known Indian species. As regards the second point, the shape and extent of the blue fascia, 

 there appear to be sufficient differences to separate all three species, and on this we have based 

 our key. 



276. Amatlmsia amythaon, Doubleday, 



A. amythaon, Doubleday, Ann and Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. xix, p. 175 (1847). 



Habitat : Sylhet. 



Expanse : 5 inches. 



Description : " Upperside, both wings fuscous-black, darker, especially the hindwing, 

 near the base. Foienjing traversed by a broad oblique band of a beautiful light blue, with pur- 

 plish reflections, commencing on the costa above opposite to the middle of the cell, and occupying 

 in width about one-third of the costa, extending obliquely across to the submedian nervure, 

 and terminating near the outer margin, where its upper boundary is the second discoidal nervule. 

 Underside, both wings pale chocolate, with lavender reflections, traversed by seven transverse 

 lines ; the first commencing on the costa of the forewing near the base, continued along the 

 prcecostal and first median nervules of the hindwing ; the second continued across both wings 

 to the origin of the second median nervule of the hindwing ; the third short, just crossing the 

 cell [of the forewing] a little beyond the middle ; the fourth beyond the cell, continued nearly 

 to the anal angle [of the hindwing] ; the fifth more oblique, only reaching the first median 

 nervule of the hindwing ; the sixth arising near the apex, meeting the fourth at its termination ; 

 the seventh submarginal, common. Hindwing, slightly produced into a short round tail or 

 palette at the anal angle, having, besides the markings already described, two ocelli composed 

 of an oval black ring with a white pupil, the larger one near the costa between the first and 

 second subcostal nervules ; the second between the first and second median nervules at the 

 point of junction of the fourth and sixth strigoe ; the anal palette with two black dots edged 

 with white. The cilia all white. Head, thorax, and abdomen brown. Female paler, with 

 the band of the forewing much narrower, not occupying any part of the cell, fulvous, marked 

 near the outer margin with a brown waved striga. Much resembling A. phidippus in form, but 

 known at once by the blue band above, and different markings of the under surface." 

 {Doubleday, I.e.) 



We have never seen this insect ; no mention is made in the description of the very 

 remarkable tufts borne by the male insect in the two following species ; and it is strange that 

 if present they should have escaped the attention of so profound an entomologist as Mr- 

 Doubleday. 



