328 LYCAENIDA. ILERDA. 
“T am at present not able to say with certainty what is the proper name of this species, of 
which I received a fair series of both sexes [from Native Sikkim]. I have examined the specimens 
in the British Museum and in the Hewitson’s collection, as well as Mr. Moore’s. In that gentle- 
man’s opinicn it is a new species between /. moorei, Hewitson, and JZ. Aewitsoni, Moore, and 
resembles the former very closely above, but not below. The male has a more purple tinge 
en both wings than JZ, Aewitsoni, but the female is hardly, if at all, to be distinguished from 
this species, which I have taken at Darjiling in December. The genus is a very 
difficult one, as there are four or five very nearly allied species in the Himalaya.’’ (Z/wes, 1. c.) 
I have had much difficulty in arriving at any conclusion regarding the identification of this 
species. The male specimens I possess from Native Sikkim on the upperside in their “* brilliant 
metallic blue ” colour agree with Hewitson’s description, but may prove to differ therefrom on 
the underside in not having the rather prominent line defining the disco-cellular nervules and 
the more distinct discal line on both wings which are present in my specimens, but are not men- 
tioned in that description. Mr. Moore may be correct in thinking these Sikkim specimens are 
distinct from Z. moorei. Icannot fird a description of the Z. Aewitsonit mentioned above. 
M. Blanchard’s description of 7. saf#ir from Moupin, Eastern Thibet is so short that the species 
can never be identified by it. However, whatever name these specimens may ultimately be known 
by, they represent a species quite distinct from any other in the genus. It is very rare in collec- 
tions ; the only specimens known to me have been obtained from the interior of Native Sikkim, 
887. Tlerda androclos, Doubleday and Hewitson. 
Thecla androcles, Westwood, Gen. Diurn. Lep., vol. ii, p. 487, n. 141 3 Zlerda and>ocles, Doubleday and 
Hewitson, |. c., pl. Ixxv, fig. 2, male (1852); id., Horsfield and Moore, Cat. Lep. Mus. E. I. C., vol. is 
Pp, 29, n. 32 (1857) ; Z. coruscans, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1882, p. 248; id., Doherty, Journ. A. S. B., 
vol. lv, pt. 2, p. 130, n. 147 (1886); Z. Zangiz, Moore, Proc, Zool. Soc. Lond., 1883, p. 526. 
HapsiraT: Sylhet (Westwood) ; Western Himalayas from Kashmir to Kumaon ; Shillong. 
EXPANSE: @, I'Ioto 1°65; 9, 1°35 to 1°50 inches. 
DESCRIPTION: MALE. UPPERSIDE, forewing green [turning to a rich metallic blue in 
some lights impossible to beshown in the figure, though there has been some attempt to 
do this by colouring part of the hindwing blue], with the costa narrowly and increasingly, 
the apex very widely, and the outer margin decreasingly black. Hindwing withthe disc 
and base green [of the same metallic shade and turning to blue in some lights as in the 
forewing!, the costa and outer margin broadly black, bearing at the anal angle two orange 
lunules. 
This description is taken from Mr. Hewitson’s figure of the type specimen, which Mr. 
Westwood says came from Sylhet. I possess numerous specimens from Shillong which agree with 
this figure, except that only one of them has two orange lunules to the hindwing; all the rest 
have more, but this is so obviously a varietal character in every species of the genus, that it may 
be set aside at once as being of no specific value whatever. Mr. Moore has described as J. corus- 
cans specimens from the Western Himalayas which do not appear to me to differ in the least from 
Z. androcles. append his description as a foot-note.* I do not think it necessary to criticise 
his diagnosis of Z. coruscans word by word, as I possess specimens so identified by him which are 
identical with others from the district where the type of 7. androcles was obtained. With regard 
to Z. dangii, which Mr. Moore has also described from the Western Himalayas, the only character 
apparently that Mr. Moore relies on as of much value for separating it from Z. androcles, is 
* Ilerda coruscans, Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1882, p. 248; id., Doherty, Journ. A. S. B., vol. 
lv, pt. 2, p. 132, nm. 147 (1886). Hasirar: N.-W. Himalaya; Bisahur, between Sarhan and ‘I'randa ; 
Dharmsala. Exranse: 1°3 inches. DrscripTion : ‘*‘ Smaller than J/. androcles, Doubleday and Hewitson, 
Mae. Uppersive, doth wings of a denser blackish-brown colour. Forewzng with the lower basal and discal 
areas, and the medial area of the hindwing entirely covered with glittering metallic blue scales, which in some 
lights are of a smalt-blue tint ; two slender, short, red anal lunules. FremMALe. Urrersipe, doth wings paler 
brown than in the male. forewing with a narrow red oblique band. Aindwing with a marginal sinuous red 
band.” (Moore, 1. c.) 
Mr. Doherty notes regarding this species that it ‘‘is shining greenish-blue well beyond the cell, and to 
the hind margin of the forewing, and over the disc of the hindwing. ‘he clasp of the prehensores, seen 
from the side, is truncate and apparently unarmed,” 
