NYMPHALID.E. NYMPHALIN^, NEPTIS. 95 



hindwing is distinctly lunular, it is usually quite straight in other species of Neptis ; in the 

 male it is obscure, in the female prominent. The white spots and bands are prominently black 

 bordered on the underside, and the hindwing bears three prominent white macular bands on 

 the margin, the inner one lunular, the other two straight. 



The Indian Museum, Calcutta, has received specimens of this species from the following 

 islands in the Nicobars :— Kamorta, Takoin, Nankowri, Katchall, Kar Nicobar and Great 

 Nicobar. 



A closely-allied species* from the Malay Peninsula has been described by Mr. Butler 

 under the name of N. mamafa. Mr. Distant considers it to be, however, a variety of N. 

 euryjtome, Westwood, from China. 



The next four species are, as far as I can see, nothing but different forms of N. varmona, 

 N. disrupta is clearly a ' ' sport" or casual variety. I have specimens of N. adara and N. varmona 

 identified by Mr. Moore, and there is no single character sufficiently fixed and definite which I 

 can discover either from the descriptions or from properly authenticated specimens to distin- 

 guish between these two. I have no authenticated specimen of A', meeiana, but there is a 

 large series of the N. varmona type in our collections from Upper Tenasserim from whence 

 the type specimen of A', medana was obtained, and in these the markings of the underside 

 are less prominently black bordered than in those taken farther north and in India, thereby 

 agreeing with N. kamarupa ; but this character is variable in intensity. 



The three species which follow are also varieties of the same type. Typical specimens of A''. 

 swinhoei and N. kamarupa from India can be separated by the shape of the submarginal 

 band, but the points of separation are variable, and neither form is confined to a distinct geogra- 

 phical range. Further, although the deflection of the submarginal band of the hindwing 

 at anal angle is prevalent in these three forms it is not constant, and intermediate forms are 

 frequently met with ; further AK eurytnene in which typically the marginal line is pure 

 white and prominent passes by insensible gradations into the sivinhoei iovm, in which the 

 marginal line is well nigh obsolete, and the conclusion to which an examination of large 

 series of all the forms in which the discal band of the underside is distinctly defined with black 

 leads me is that they represent a single species, N. varmona, with N. nicobarica as a well marked 

 local form, N, andamana a less well marked local form. A', disrupta a casual aberration, 

 and N, szvinhoei, N. kamarupa and A^, eurymene as inconstant varieties, while N. adara 

 and A'', meetana are inseparable from the typical form. 



379- Neptis varmona, Moore. 



N. varmona, Moore, Proc. Zool. See. Lond., 1872, p. 561; idem, id., Lep. Cey., p. 54, pi. xxviii, 

 figs. I, ia(i88i);? N. matuta, Moore (nee Hubner), Proc. Zool. Sec. Lond., 1865, p. 763. 



Habitat: Mountains of South India (Matheran, Nilgiris), Ceylon \^Moore); Sikkim, Sylhet, 

 Assam, Cachar, Continental India. 



Expanse : 1*75 to 2*50 inches. 



* Neptis mamaja, Butler, Trans. Linn. Soc, Zoology, second series, vol. i, p. 541, n. 1, pi. Ixix, fig. 3 (1877); 

 iV^. w^^j/wowe, var. ?«a>««y«, Distant, Rhop. Malay., p. 156, n. 12, pi. xvi, fig. 14, ylwa/e (1883); Livtenitis 

 eurynojne, Westwood, Donovan's Ins. China, p. 66, pi. xxxv, fig. 4 (1842)- Habitat: (yar. wawa/a only) 

 Province Wellesley, Penang, Malacca. Expanse : 2-00 to 2-25 inches. Description : Nearly allied to N. eury. 

 name, but always to be distinguished by the narrower externo-discal band of white spots on the hindwing, 

 colouring on the undbrsidb rather brighter than in N. enrynome." 



"This appears to be the commonest Neptis in Malacca." {Butier, \. c.) 



"Male and Female. Upperside closely resembUng A^. </?<>:»'('(/«««, but the pale markings more or less 

 tinged with lemon-colour (very strongly so in the specimen figured), the spot at the end of the cell in the 

 /orwing imaWer, but variable in size, and the narrow pale submarginal linear fascia of the /!i«i/7w«^ almost 

 obsolete. Underside warm orhraceous ; markings resembling those of N. dutyodana, but more or less tinged 

 with lemon-colour as above, and with the outer pale discal fascia to the hindxning more macular than in that 

 species." 



" Typical specimens of JV. ^/ryw^w?!?, localised as from N. India («c) and China, which I have examined, 

 appear to be sufficiently distinct from the European A^. aceris, Lepechin, to have specific differentiation, though 

 I consider the N. mamaja, Butler, to be better expressed as a variety only of Professer Westwood's species, 

 especially as I have received another very close variety from North Borneo. Even in my Province Wellesley 

 specimens considerable variation is found, such as the basal cellular streak of the yc?/fiw>/^ being either broken, 

 or entire as in the figure given." {Distant, 1. c.) 



