25o NYMPHALID.E. NYMPHALlN/1!. CYRESTIS. 



also exhibits considerable variation ; in C. peraka the apex of the forewing is very rounded, and 

 the outer margin is convex ; the hindwing shows just the faintest trace of a tooth at the 

 extremity of the third median nervule, the anal lobe being entirely absent. In C. rahria the 

 apex of the forewing is acute, less rounded, and the outer margin is straight, and there are 

 traces of a tail and anal lobe on the hindwing ; in C. risa these characters are a little more 

 strongly developed, the outer margin of the forewing is straight, and the apex is sharply angled. 

 In the typical Cyrestes the tail and anal lobe are very prominent. In C. Ihyodamas and allies 

 the anal angle of the forewing and the apex of the hindwing are deeply excavated, in C. risa 

 the apex of the hindwing only is excised, in the other species the outline of both wings as 

 regards this character is normal. In C. periander the apex of the forewing is distinctly 

 truncate. The lower disco-cellular nervule of the forewing also is present in some species 

 and closes the discoidal cell, in others it is absent altogether. It joins the median nervure 

 when present at different points, in C risa exactly midway between the origins of the first 

 and second median nervules, in C. thyodamas at the origin of the second and third median 

 nervules. All the species of the genus are very elegant insects, the wings are very 

 larf^e and delicate, and crossed by several black lines forming more or less distinct bands 

 common to both wings and parallel to the body ; the markings throughout are the same in 

 characterj the ground-colour being tawny, ochreous, pale buff, greenish or pure white. They 

 are very beautiful insects on the wing, having a floating sailing flight, often settling on the 

 wet sand on the borders of a stream to suck up the moisture with wings very wide outspread 

 and lying flat on the ground, the forewings much advanced in front of the head ; if disturbed 

 they disappear with great rapidity, as they settle suddenly with outspread wings on the 

 underside of a leaf, where they are quite invisible from above. They are nearly always found 

 near water, in Simla C. thyodamas may often be seen at rest on a bare quartz rock in 

 midstream, its delicately pencilled markings exactly harmonising with the veinings of the stone. 

 " Cyrestis is a genus of not inconsiderable extent, which, although represented in Western 

 Africa and Madagascar, has its head-quarters in the Oriental region. It is found in Continental 

 India the Andaman and Nicober Isles, Burma, Tenasserim, but not in Ceylon, and in, and 

 from, the Malay Peninsula, throughout the length and breadth of the Malay Archipelago ; it 

 has also recently been received from New Ireland." (Dislaul, 1. c.) 



Eey to the Indian species of Cyrestis. 



A. First and second subcostal nervules of forewing emitted before the end of the cell. 



a. Anal angle of forewing and apex of hindwing deeply excavated. 



«*. Ground-colour white, or yellowish-white or pale buff. 

 a'. Outer margin of forewing narrowly black. 



544. C. THYODAMAS, Himalayas, Assam, Burma, Continental and South 



India, Andamans. 

 b^. Outer margin and base of costa of forewing broadly black. 



545. C. NivEA, Upper Tenasserim, Malay Peninsula, Java, Borneo. 

 ^'. Ground-colour rich deep fulvous 



546. C. TABULA, Nicobars. 



b. Anal angle of forewing entire, sharply angled, and apex of hindwing evenly rounded, not 



excavated. 

 o'. Apex of forewing rounded ; of large size, with no prominent outer black border to the 

 wings on the upperside. 



547. C. cocLES, Khasi Hills, Sylhet, Upper Tenasserim, Malay Peninsula, 



Siam, Orissa, Andamans. 

 P, Apex of forewing trunc.-vte ; of small size, with a prominent outer black border to the 

 wings on the upperside. 



548. C. PERIANDER, Mergui, Tavoy, Java. 



neural characters are similar to those of Cyrestis, [except the point on the median nervure of the forewing at 

 which the lower disco-cellular nervule is joined, which is variable in the different species, but is always be/ore 

 the origin of the second median nervule]." 



"Two species [a third, C. peraka, has since been described] are included in this genus, viz, C. risa, 

 Doubleday and Hewitson, a species found in Continental India, and C rahria, Moore, a lavan species, also 

 found in Borneo and in this fauna. Its distribution is probably from Continental India to the confines of the 

 Indo-Malayan region," (Distant, \ c.) 



