LYCANIDA. BIDUANDA. 425 
I include in this genus the Myrina melisa, M. cyara, and M. sceva, all of Hewitson. 
They are rather small butterflies, with three tails to the hindwing, and a very persistent style 
of markings on the underside; these consist of a large brown blotch at the apex of the fore- 
wing in both sexes of B. sceva and in the male of &, melisa, but before the apex in the 
females of 2. melisa and B. cyara; and with numerous brown spots and lines covering the 
base and disc of both wings on the underside in all of them. The males of 3. melisa and 
B. sceva have the outer half of the hindwing on the upperside rich metallic blue, with a 
patch of blue in the middle of the disc of the forewing also in the latter ; the female of B. melisa 
is also blue on the hindwing, with a patch of white on the disc of the forewing ; the female of 
B. sceva is fuscous on the upperside, with the outer third of the hindwing white. Of these three 
species I possess but a single male specimen of 2. melésa, and a pair of B. sceva, all of which 
differ in many points of structure from B. thesmza, remarkably so in having the inner margin of 
the forewing less strongly outwardly bowed, the costal nervure and first and second subcostal 
nervules more widely separated owing to the costa being more arched, and the antennz being 
shorter. It is more than probable that these three species represent a genus or even genera 
distinct from Biduanda, but the matter must rest in abeyance, as far at any rate as I am 
concerned, until specimens can be obtained in sufficient numbers to enable me to sacrifice one 
of each species by bleaching the wings so that I can study their venation carefully. 
The genus Biduanda is a small but very interesting one. Its known distribution at 
present is confined to Sikkim, Burma, the Malay peninsula, Nias and Daat Islands, Sumatra 
and Borneo : its range will doubtless hereafter be greatly extended in the Malay Archipelago. 
Mr. Moore described a species which he called “ Drupadia fabricit” from Burma. It is not 
a Drupadia at all, as the outline of the hindwing in the male is normal, the costal nervure reaches 
the apex of the wing instead of terminating about the middle of the costa as it does in the 
genus Drufadia, and both sexes have three instead of two subcostal nervules to the forewing. I 
am unable even to maintain the species as distinct, as it appears to have no constant characters 
by which it can be distinguished from Biduanda thesmia, Hewitson. 
The markings of the underside in some of the species of the genera Biduanda and Drupadia 
are strikingly similar ; whether this is due to mimicry or not Iam unable to say, 
Mr. Doherty records the following note on the genus. ‘‘ Drupadia differs from Biduanda 
in having the third subcostal nervule [I call this vein the terminal portion of the subcostal 
nervure] undivided (in Biduanda it is forked just before its termination), and a conspicuous sex~ 
mark on the hindwing on the upperside between the bases of the costal and subcostal nervures. 
Nevertheless the two genera are extremely similar in the entire structure of the egg, the [newly- 
born] larva, and the imago, and in any system of classification ought to be brought together.” 
(Journ, A. S. B., vol. lviii, pt. 2, p. (1889). 
Eoy to theIndian species of Biduanda. 
A. Both sexes, underside, forewing with the discal band narrow throughout. 
a. Male, upperside, hindwing not densely irrorated with bluish-white scales. 
969. B. THEsmta, Burma, Malay Peninsula, Nias and Daat Islands, Sumatra. 
&. Male, upperside, hindwing densely irrorated with bluish-white scales. 
g70. B, scuppgERuU, Burma, 
B. Bothsexes, underside, forewing with the anterior portion of the discal band three or four times a3 
broad as the posterior portion below the second median nervule. 
a. Bothsexes with the anal half of the hindwing on the upperside cerulean blue, female witha 
discal white patch on the forewing. 
971. B. mevisa, Sikkim, Burma, 
%. Female (?) with the entire hindwing on the upperside rufous-brown, a bifid orange patch on the 
disc of the forewing. 
972. B. cyara, Sikkim. 
c. Male, upperside, both wings rich dark violet, with an even narrow outer black margin; hind- 
wing irrorated with white at the anal angle, 
973. 3B. NICEVILLE!, Burma. 
