62 LYCANID. MEGISBA. 
Ghats seem to me identical with P. malaya, except in the absence of the tail. The occurrence 
likewise of the tailless form of Macaduba ardates, Moore, in those districts is worthy of remark.” 
(Doherty, l. c.) 
“One male, Irangmara, Cachar, 18th July. This specimen possesses tails, going there- 
fore into Mr. Moore’s genus Pathalia ; and it is entirely black on the upperside. A complete 
gradation can be made from this black form [named JZ sikkima, Moore] to one with the 
white area on the upperside of both wings more extensive than the black ground-colour, 
which latter form has been described by Mr. Moore as P. albidisca. In Mr. Moore’s genus 
Megisba, which has no tails, the same variation occurs : AZ. thwaitesi from Ceylon has a small 
patch of white on the upperside of the forewing only, A/. si#kima is entirely black, but there are 
other specimens from Sikkim which have the white area above of greater extent than the black. 
The type of AZ, sikkima is in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, and has tails ; so perhaps Mr. Moore 
does not consider the presence or absence of the tails to be of generic consequence. He has also 
named for the Indian Museum, Calcutta, some Andaman specimens of this group with tails 
“ Mevisha thwaitesi,” still further showing that he considers the tails of no importance. In this 
we quite agree with him, but would carry the matter still further and treat Pathalia malaya, 
P. albidisca, Megisha thwaitesi, and M. sikkimaas one variable tailed or tailless species.” 
(Wood-Mason and de Nicéville, 1. c, in Journ. A. S. B., vol. lv, pt. 2, p. 364, n. 108 (1887). 
There is one interesting fact as regards the distribution of the tailed and tailless form of 
this species which should be noted. I possess both forms from one locality only, ze, 
Sikkim, and indeed possess but two specimens only of the tailless form from that district, the 
tailed form being very common there at low elevations, occurring in July, October and 
November at any rate, probably throughont the year. The tailed form also occurs in the 
N.-W. Himalayas, in Kumaon, the Malda district, Cachar, Chittagong, Malacca, the Andaman 
and Nicobar Isles, Java, Borneo, Sumba, and Sambawa. The tailless form occurs in Sikkim, 
Calcutta, the Eastern and Western Ghats, Orissa, Ganjam, the Nilgiris, and in Ceylon. 
As regards variability of markings, as noted before, Sikkim shows every possible grada- 
tion from an entirely black form to one with the white area greater than the black. From 
Bholahat, in the Malda district, I possess specimens quite black, some with a small patch of 
white on the forewing, none on the hindwing, and others with much white on both wings. 
From Orissa I have variations similar to those from Bholahat. From the Nilgiris I have almost 
quite black specimens, others with a moderate-sized white patch on the forewing. Specimens from 
the Andaman Isles are quite constant, having a moderate-sizedwhite patch on the forewing only. 
Examples from Kamorta and Great Nicobar are equally constant, being entirely black above. 
I propose to give below* for reference the original descriptions of all the species which 
have been described in the genera A/egisba and Patha/ia, fitting in as far as I can my extensive 
* Megisba thwaitesi, Moore, Lep. Cey., vol. i, p. 71, pl. xxxiv, figs. 3, 32, 7mago ; 36, larva and puta 
(1881); id., de Nicéville, Journ, A. S. B., vol. liv, pt. 2, p. 46, n. 56 (1885); id., Distant, Rhop. Malay., p. 457, 
n. 1, pl. xliv, fig. 4 (1886). HasiratT: Without tails, Ceylon ; with tails, Bholahat, Sikkim, Andaman Isles 
(Moore) ; with tails, Malacca (Déstant) ; without tails, Calcutta, Orissa, Ganjam, Ootacamund (de Nicéville). 
ExpansE Male,’9; female, ro inch, Description: “ Mate and FEMALE, UppeErsivDE, both wings dark 
violet-brown. Forewing with an oblique lower discal white-speckled patch. Ci/ia whitish. UNpeERSIDE, 
both wings bluish-white. Forewing with four blackish spots on the middle of the costal border, one within the 
cell, a brown disco-cellular streak, an outer discal transverse curved series of five brown streaks, a marginal row 
of blackish spots bordered inwardly by a narrow sinuous line and outwardly by a linear marginal line. Aind- 
qing with three black subbasal transverse spots, one on the middle of the abdominal margin, and a larger one 
on the costal border near the apex ; a narrow brown disco-cellular streak, and a discal series of irregular-shaped 
spots; a marginal row of blackish spots bordered within by a sinuous line, and outwardly by a linear marginal 
line, the third spot from the anal angle large and blackest. Padfz black above. Legs with prominent black 
bands. Aatenne@ black with white annular bands.” 
“Larva, light green, vermiform, middle segments swollen. Feeds on Safsindacee. Pura, thick, blunt at 
the ends.’ (Moore, |. c.) 
“ Kandy, Ceylon. Very common and easy to capture.” (Wade). 
** A single [male] specimen taken in February in Calcutta. It probably is often overlooked owing to its close 
general resemblance to the species of the genus NMeofithecofs, which often actually swarm amongst bushes in 
shade.” (de Nicéville, 1. c.) 
Megisba hampsoni, Moore, MS., which must be very close to 7, thwaztesi judging from the Nilgiri speci- 
mens I have seen, is ‘‘ found on the lower slopes ” of the Nilgiris. ‘‘and is fairly common.” (G. 7. Hawepson). 
Mr. Distant evidently disregards the tail as of generic importance, as he distinctly says his Malacca 
specimen of MM. thwattesi has tails, while Mr. Moore as distinctly describes Megisba as without them, No tail,, 
however, is shown in Mr, Distant’s figure of his specimen, 
