NYMPIIALID.II. NYMPIIALTN.E SYMBUENTHIA. 245 



537. Syittlarontlxia aiphanda, Mooie. 



5'. Hiphandn, Moore, Proc. Zool. See. Lend., 1872, p. 559. 



Habitat : Sikkim Himalayas. 



Expanse: ^,r8to2"o; ? , 2'oo to 2 25 inches. 



Description : " Male and female. Upperside dark fuliginous browii. Forcwing with 

 a testaceous '[•c^ay-colouied] elongated discoidal streak, an oblique subapical irregular streak 

 [reaching the costa], a small apical lunxde, a broad band extending obliquely from near 

 lK)sterior angle to abdominal margin of the hindwing, below which band is a submarginal 

 hrnular band. Underside pale testaceous yellow. Fornving tesselated with black along 

 base of costa, at the apex, obliquely from middle of outer margin, and across the base of the 

 hindiving, broadly from lower part of abdominal margin, and then decreasing upwards towards 

 the angle, beneath which is a series of broad metallic-green lunules wiih black double borders ; 

 outside these is a marginal band, the middle portion being metallic-green. The spaces re- 

 presenting the streaks and bands of the upperside are veiy pale and glossy on the underside," 

 (^Moore, I.e.) 



This very beautiful an^ distinct species appears to be confined to low elevations in Sikkim, 

 where Mr. Otto Moller has obtained it sparingly. On the upperside it may be at once distin- 

 guished from .S". hypselis by all the markings being pale ochreous-white, the subapical streak of 

 the forewing reaching the costa in both sexes. On the hind wing there is often a fine interrupted 

 submarginal yellow line. On the underside both the white bands and black tesselationsare 

 more distinct than in S. hypselis. In fine fresh specimens there is a distinct cerulean-blue 

 metallic black-lined spot at the anal angle of the hindwing on the underside, and another 

 similar spot at the termination of the internal nervure, all the other metallic markings being 

 green. The sexes in this species differ but slightly. 



53s. Syisi'brentMa silana, de N. 



5'. iilana, de Nic^ville, Journ. A. S. B., vol. liv, pt. 2, p. 117, pi. ii> fig. 9, inale (1885), 

 Habitat : Sikkim, Bhutan. 

 Expanse : <? , '2 l ; ? , 2'3 inches. 



Description: "Male, Upperside, both luings black. Fornving with a very regular 

 streak from the base to beyond the cell extending slightly below the median but not touching 

 the subcostal nervure, a subapical irregular streak not quite reaching the costa or the outer 

 margin, beyond which is a curved narrow lunular line ; a broad band placed obliquely from the 

 second median nervule to the inner margin. Hindwing with a broad discal band, a submarginal 

 one less than half the width of the discal band becoming attenuated anteriorly, an obsolete 

 (hardly traceable) very fine marginal line ; all these markings bright ochreous paler in the 

 middle. Underside with the markings as above, but glossy opaline white, the black ground- 

 colour replaced by prominent black and yellow tesselations. Hindiuin^ with a discal series 

 of five imperfect somewhat cone-shaped spots of moderate size, the three nearest the anal 

 angle centred with brilliant metallic blue ; three lunules of that colour at the anal angle. 

 Bolh loings with the margin black, a submarginal fine line defined with yellow, on both sides. 

 Fem.vle larger, the forciving broader, the outer margin evenly curved. Markings througliout 

 paler, except the blue ones on the underside of the hindwing, which are larger and more 

 prominent. The subapical streak on the upperside of the forevving touching the costa, and 

 a small narrow spot just within it." 



"Near to S. niphanda, Moore, which also occurs in Sikkim, but may at once be distin- 

 guished from that species by the ochreous bands on the upperside being much wider, and ou 

 the underside much paler also. The five cone-shaped imperfect spots are less than half the 

 size of those of .S. niphanda, and the centres of three of them and the anal lunules are 

 pure cerulean blue instead of green." (cie Niccvilie, 1 c.) All the specimens I have seen have 

 been obtained in Sikkim at low elevations by Mr. Otto Moller, except one from Buxa, Bhulaji, 

 by the Museum collector, Moti Ram. It is a rare species. 



