NYMPHALID^. NYMPHALIN^. MELIT^A. 23 



less surrounded with reddish, the black fascix above, pale brownish beneath. Body anii 

 le^s more or less concolourous with wings." (Distant, 1. c.) 



Captain Mortimer J. Slater notes* that this species was " tolerably plentiful at Dacca, 

 1844. Flies quietly, and is easily captured. I used to find one or two almost invariably near a 

 deep pool of stagnant water overhung with bamboo jungle." It has been taken at Shelapunji in 

 the Khasi Hills in October, Mr. T. G. H. Moncrieffe took it at Rangoon, Dr. Anderson in the 

 Mergui archipelago, and Limborg from Moolai to Moolat and at Hatsiega in Upper Tenasserim. 

 There is a single specimen from Sikkim collected by Dr. Jerdon in Col. Lang's collection, Mr, 

 A. V. Knyvett and I took it on a flowering tree at Kalimpong, 4,000 feet, also in Sikkim in 

 October, and it occurs in Continental India along the foot of the Himalayas as far west as 

 Kumaon as stated by Mr. E. F, T. Atkinson in his " Notes on the Zoology of the N. W. P., 

 India." In South India it is replaced by the next closely-allied species. Mr. de Roepstorff 

 has sent numerous specimens captured at Port Blair, which are remarkable for the depth of 

 the ground-colour of the upperside, it being deep umber-brown rather than ochreous-yellow ; 



in this respect they are nearest to some specimens from Upper Tenasserim and Penang. 



Var. nikobarica, Felder, " Differs from the Indian and Javan types in its much lighter 



colouration, in the outer spots on the forewing being much larger, and in the opalescent outer 



series of lunules on the hindwing," 



The Nicobarese variety can at once be distinguished from specimens from the Andamans 



by their much lighter colouration, but they are hardly distinguishable from some examples from 



Continental India, The Indian Museum, Calcutta, has specimens from Kamorta, Katschall 



and Great Nicobar, 



The figure shows the upper and undersides of a male specimen from the South Andamans 



in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. 



308, Cuplia placida, Moore. 

 C.placida, Moore, Lep. Cey., vol. i, p. 65, pi. xxxii, fig, i (1881). 



Habitat : South India, Ceylon. 



Expanse : 1-9 to 2'5 inches. 



Description : " Male and female, Upperside dark yellowish-ochreous, darkest and 

 tinged with olive on basal areas. Forewing with a black apical band, having a waved curved 

 inner border extending from middle of the costa to posterior angle ; a transverse narrow black 

 zigzag line dividing the basal and discal areas ; two lunate marks within the cell and three spots 

 on lower discal area. Hindioing with a transverse subbasal black zigzag line, a discal whitish- 

 bordered macular band and outer row of small oval spots, two submarginal lunular darker lines 

 and an outer marginal line. Underside pale ochreous, with very pale markings, as above, the 

 discal band composed of white lunules and traversing both wings." (^Moore, 1. c.) 



The Indian Museum, Calcutta, possesses examples from the Kadur district, Mysore, Oota- 

 camund ( W. F. Bampson), Wynaad, Canara, Travancore and Ceylon. In the latter island it is 

 recorded as being " a low country insect, found sometimes in the hilly districts. Numerous only 

 about April and May" (Mackwood). " Galle and Kandy" (IVade). On the upperside of the 

 forewing the pale discal band is darker, and consequently less conspicuous than in C, erymanthis, 

 and the apical black area is more deeply coloured and usually immaculate ; in Ceylon specimens, 

 however, it often bears a single obsolete ochreous spot ; the outer edge of the pale discal band 

 also is in typical specimens evenly curved and very slightly sinuate. In its range it is geogra- 

 phically separated from C. erymanthis, and differs sufficiently in colouration and markings to 

 entitle it to specific rank ; but the specimens from South India show a gradually increasing 

 resemblance to C. eryvianthis to the northwards of their range, very marked in some cases. 

 Q-eauS 49— MELIT.a5A, Fabricius. (Plate XVIII). 

 Melitxa, Fabricius, 111. Mag., vol. vi, p. 284, n. 29 (1807) ; id., Doubleday, Gea. Diurn. Lep., vol. i, p. 177 

 (1848}. 



" Head, rather small, clothed with hair; forehead narrow. Eyes, oval, not prominent. 

 Palpi, divergent, porrect, slightly ascending, projecting considerably beyond the forehead ; 

 all the joints hairy. First joint stout, curved ; second joint subcylindric, rather compressed, 



* Horsfield and Moore, Cat. Lep. Mus. E L C., vol. i, p, 151. 



