112 LYCANIDAE, ZIZERA. 
in the middle of the cell of the forewing, but differs from it in lacking the two spots (one on 
either side of the spot closing the discoidal cell) on the costa. As mentioned above, much 
uncertainty exists as to the extent of the species of this genus, and as my opinion will probably 
be called in question, I shall in the following pages give the original descriptions as far as 
possible of all the species described from India, and in the habitat headings and in the key to 
the species give only the localities-for each that have been recorded by others. Climate, as 
has already been said, has a great effect on these butterflies, but as these occur everywhere in 
India, and the different climatic belts are not sharply defined, I cannot even divide them, as 
I otherwise should attempt to do, into local races. Seasonal variation too is very marked in 
Z. maha, the specimens which occur in the rains being very much darker than those which are 
about in the dry-season. The markings of the underside of all the species vary considerably 
according to the season at which they emerge from the pupa, this being especially remarkable 
in Z. maha and Z. otis; in these the markings are almost entirely obliterated in the cold dry- 
weather forms. All the Indian species of Zizera are weak-flying butterflies, which abound 
where grass, coarse herbage, and weeds grow; they seldom rise much above the ground, and 
never settle on high bushes and trees, as so many Lycenide do. 
Key to the Indian species of Zizera. 
A. Spot in cell of forewing on underside internal to disco-cellular spot. 
a. Of large size, male above silvery-blue. 
694. Z. MAHA, Western Himalayas, plains of N.-W. India, Central India. 
695. Z.CHANDALA, Kashmir, Western Himalayas, N.-W. and Central India. 
696. Z. piLuTa, Bengal, Western Himalayas, Punjab, Cachar. 
697. Z. SQUALIDA, Cachar, North-West India. 
698. Z. ossa, Bombay, Deccan. 
5. Of small size, male above violet-blue, 
699. Z. Lysimon, South Europe, Africa, Asia, parts of Australasia. 
joo. Z. KARSANDRA, Arabia, throughout India, Burma, Ceylon, and the Nicobars. 
zor. Z. MORA, Karachi. 
B. No spot in cell of forewing on underside internal to disco-cellular spot. 
a. ‘Two spots on costa of forewing on underside, one on either side of disco-cellular spot. 
jo2. Z. GAIKA, South Africa, Arabia, India, Ceylon, Malayana. 
6. No spots whatever on costa of forewing on underside. 
703. Z.orTis, Burma, Malay Peninsula, Java, Sumatra, N. Celebes, China. 
7o4. Z. SANGRA, India, Andaman and Nicobar Isles, Burma, Formosa. 
7o5. Z. 1nDICcA, N.-W. Provinces, Central India, Deccan, N.-W. Himalayas, Ceylon, 
Formosa, 
706. Z. DECRETA, Mhow. 
694. Zizera maha, Kollar. (PLATE XXVI, Fic. 172 ¢). 
Lycena maha, Kollar, Hiigel’s Kaschmir, vol. iv, pt. 2, p. 422, n. 9 (1848); Zizera maha, Moore, Proc. 
Zool. Soc. Lond., 1882, p. 245; id., Swinhoe, I. c., 1886, p. 426, n. 423; id., Doherty, Journ. A: S. B., vol. lv, 
pt. 2, p. 133, n- 177 (1886); id., Butler, Ann, and Mag. of Nat. Hist., sixth series, vol. i, p. 148, n. 52 (1888). 
HaBitaT: Masuri (Xo//ar) ; Kangra district, N.-W. Himalayas (AZoore); Mhow, April, 
May, and June; Manpore, June (Sw/hoe); Kumaon generally from the plains up to 9,000 
feet (Doherty) ; Campbellpore, 17th April ; Hassan Abdal, 9th May, 1886 (Butéler). 
EXPANSE: 46, 9%, ‘95 to 1°30 inches. 
DESCRIPTION: ** MALE. UPPERSIDE, doth wings silvery-bluish, with the entire border 
fuscous. UNDERSIDE, Joth wings cinereous, with a series of black dots larger in the forewing, 
smaller in the hindwing, all the dots circled with whitish. FEMALE. UPPERSIDE, doth wings 
fuscous, mingled with bluish.” (o//ar, 1. c.) 
Mr. Butler notes: Z. maha ‘‘is easy to recognize, the male above being of a pale silvery 
lilac or azure tint, changing in certain positions to grey and silvery white; the extreme outer 
margin black, the forewing with a dusky submarginal stripe ; the female is steel-blue above, 
with the costal borders and the outer border of the forewing broadly black ; the hindwing 
usually with a broad whitish outer border, on which are some black marginal spots; the 
pattern below corresponds nearly with that of Z. diduta, Felder, excepting that the hindwing is 
