14 NYMPHALID^. NYMPHALIN/E, BYBLIA. 



Middle and hindlegs, moderately long and slender ; the spines on the underside of the 

 tidia and tarsus rather stronger and more numerous than in Ergolis and Eurytela ; claws, 

 strong, simple, entire ; paronychia, very small." ( IVestwood, 1. c.) 



This is a genus of very small extent, occurring in Africa, peninsular India and Ceylon 

 only. In Africa the species of Byblia present several different forms, some of which have 

 been figured and described by different authors, and are by some authorities still kept distinct, 

 while others unite them under one species. Mr. Trimen remarks (Rhop. Afr. Austr., p. 216) 

 that " There can be no doubt whatever that all the hitherto-recorded species of Hypanis 

 [ — BybHci\ are varieties of a single species, ilithyia of Drury." They are small insects, bright 

 ferruginous on the upperside with narrow black border and black lines and spots, 



E07 to the Indian species of ByMia. 



A. Underside of hindwing with a black band across the disc beyond the middle of the wing bearing 



pairs of white dots. 



303. B. iLiTHVii, Africa, Continental and Southern India, Ceylon. 



B. This band entirely white, instead of being black, and undulating, and not bearing white dots 



in pairs. 



304. B. SIMPLEX, Central India. 



303. Byljlia ilithyia, Drury. (Plate XVIII, Fig. 68 <?). 



Pafiilio ilithyia, Drury, 111. Ex. Ins., vol. ii, p. 29, pi. xvii, figs. i)2 (1773), male I Hy/>anis ilithyia, 

 Doubleday and Hewitson, Gen. Diurn. Lep., vol. ii, p. 411, n. 1, pi. Ixviii, fig. i ^1851), vtale ; id., Butler, Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. Lond., 1884, p. 483, n. 7 ; id., Oberthiir, Ann Mus. Genova, vol. xviii, p. 725, n. 49 (1883) ; Byblia 

 ilithyia, Hiibner, Verz. bek. Schmett., p. 28 (1816); id., Moore, Lep. Cey., vol. i, p. 45, pi. xxiii, figs. 3, 3^ (1881), 

 male; Papilio polinice, Cramer, Pap. Ex., vol. iv, pi. ccclxxv, figs. G, H {lyZi), female ; Hypanis polinice, 

 Boisduval, Sp. Gen., vol. i, pi. ix, fig. 6 (1836), male; id., Butler, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1B83, p. 146, n. 6. 



Habitat: Africa, continental and peninsular India, and Ceylon. 



Expanse : <?, 1-85 to 20 ; ? , 2'0 to 2*2 inches. 



Description: " Male. Upperside, both wings bright ferruginous, with black costal 

 and exterior marginal borders. Foreiuing with three short streaks crossing the cell, a disco- 

 cellular lobular streak joined beneath to an irregular band extending across the base of the 

 hindiuing, and followed on that wing by a lower row of small spots ; a submarginal band, 

 broken below the costa of the foreiving, extending to the anal angle of the hindiving, and from 

 which runs a longitudinal line along each vein to the outer border. Female with the black 

 basal markings narrower and more confluent, with suffused dusky basal interspaces, the submar- 

 ginal band broader, and to which is joined an inner row of lunules, the outer spaces being 

 macular. Cilia alternated with white. Underside paler, foramng marked as above ; borders 

 of the costal streaks and a row of spots before the apex pale yellow. Hindwing with a basal 

 and medial transverse yellow band, lined externally by a black line, and internally by a row 

 of black spots, an intervening black spot, a submarginal black band spotted with white and 

 bordered outwardly by large yellow spots, a white marginal lunular line." (Moore, I.e.) 



The Indian Museum, Calcutta, possesses specimens from Kutch,the Deccan, and Bombay, 

 from the late East India Company's Museum ; from the Anseba Valley, Abyssinia, collected by 

 Mr. W. T. Blandford, and from Madras. Mr. J. Davidson, C.S., has taken it at Dhulia in the 

 Khandesh district, Bombay, in July, and in Major Marshall's collection are specimens from 

 Poona (October and November), Mhow (October), Depalpore (November) all taken by Colonel 

 C. Swinhoe, from Madras and the Nilgiris. In Ceylon Mr. Moore states that it is " a very rare 

 butterfly." Mr. Butler records B, polinice as a distinct species from Madras, probably 

 considering that B. ilithyia occurs in Africa and not in India. The Abyssinian specimens above 

 referred to agree, however, with the Indian ones. Colonel C. Swinhoe (Proc. Zool, Soc. 

 Lond., 1885, p. 129, n 32) also records ^. /tj/m/Vif from " Poona, September to December ; 

 Ahmednugger, Jime to November." From a close scrutiny of the numerous specimens of .5. 

 ilithyia from various localities which I have examined, I am unable to find any characters by 

 which to separate them into two species. Drury's original figure of B. ilithyia is of a male, 

 while Cramer's of B. polinice is of a female. It seems more than probable that Cramer did not 



