3iS LEMONIID/E. NEMEOBIIN^. TAXILA. 



607. Tazila fasciata, Moore. 



T.fasciata, Moore, Pioc, Zool. Soc. Loud-, 1878, p. 832, pi. Hi, fig. 1, male. 

 Habitat ; Above Ahsowii, Upper Teiiasserim ; Mergiii, Tavoy. 

 Expanse: $, r8 to z\; $, 2'o inches. 



Descuii'TION : "Allied to T. dnipadi, Ilorsfield \-T. haqninns, Fabricius] from Java. 

 Male. Ui'persiue, differs \\\ the apex of the Jorcwing being less suffused with red, and 

 having an oblique subapical indistiact whitish fascia. Underside similarly marked, with 

 the subapical fascia distinct, well-defined, and pure white." [^Mooie, I. c.) The female differs 

 from that sex of T. haquinus on the upperside of both wings being duller coloured, the 

 black markings of the underside hardly visible. Underside has all the bluish-silvery 

 markings less distinct, their inner black spots obsolete. Forewing with the oblique subapical 

 white band more regularly-margined. 



T. fasciata is very closely allied to T. haquinus which occurs in the Malay Peninsula 

 as well as in Java and Borneo ; the two species will almost certainly hereafter be found to merge 

 into one another.* There is a single male specimen of T. fasciata in the Indian Museum, 

 Calcutta, obtained by Dr. Anderson in the Mergui Archipelago in December, and a male and 

 two females from Tavoy ; in Major Marshall's collection are a male taken in the 

 Thoungyeen forests in December, one in the Meplay valley in October, two females in the 

 Thoungyeen forests in February and May respectively, and one in the Donat range in 

 January, all by Captain C. T. Bingham. 



In the Malay Peninsula occur three very beautiful species of butterflies, which belong 



to the genus Laxita\ of Butler. They differ from all the other species of the subfamily 



in having in the male a glandular patch of differently-formed scales much as in many species 



of Mycalesis placed on the upperside of the hindwing below the costa, and the inner margin 



of the forewing strongly convex to cover this patch. The markings of the underside are 



somewhat similar to those of Taxila. 



* Taxila haquinus. Pafiilio kaquitius, Fabricius, Ent. Syst., vol. iii, pt. i, p. 55, n. 169 (1793) ! Abisara 

 haquinus, Butler, Cit. Fab Lep. B. M., p. 137, n. 2 (1869) ; id., Distant, Rhop. Malay., p. igo, n. 3, pi. xviii, 

 fig. 13, _/(,v«a/£ (18S3) ; Taxila haquinus, VJ\x\:y,(Z7i.t Diuni. Lep., p. 286(1871); Eiitesis drnfiadi, Horslield, 

 Cat. Lep. E. L C, pi ii, figs ■},. female ; 3a, niale;ib — g. structure of imago (1828); id., Boisduval. Sp. Gen., 

 vol. i, pi. vii, fig. 2, male (18361. Habitat : Province Wellesley, fttalacca, Singapore. Java, Horneo. E.xpanse : 

 I '8 to 2 "2 inches. Drscription : " Male Uiterside, both ?t7»^.y dark purplish-brown, apical portion of the nervules 

 paler. Foretuing with a subapical pale and somewhat ochraceous fascia. Underside, both ivings much paler than 

 above, the discal areas reddish. /^ci;£7t7'«?' with a curved pale fascia on upper portion of cell and immediately 

 beneath the subcostal nervure, a subapicril pale ochraceous fascia as above, and with the following bluish 

 markings more or less spotted with black, viz . an oblique spot reaching ape.x of cell, two black spots beyond 

 cell connected by a bluish lunule, above which are some small black spots divided by the subcostal nervules ; 

 these are outwardly followed by a straight series of about four spots (the lower situated above the third 

 median nervule), two on each side of the second median nervule, and one on inner side and at base of first 

 median nervule; a submarginal series of linear pale continuous lunules becoming obsolete towards apex. 

 ///«<i'7('/«^ with two short pale oblique fascise at bise, a discal series of about eleven blue and black markings 

 as on forewing, and a submarginal series of obscure dark conical spots, through which pass two series of pale, 

 transverse, linear spots, the inner series being distinctly lunulate. Body above concolourous with wings, beneath 

 with /^^?s greyish brown. Fkm.\le- Ui'pekside, /'(J^A mings reddish, the dark spots beneath visible above. 

 Forewing with a prominent subapical white fascia. Undbrsidi? generally as in male, excepting the white 

 subapical fascia " {Dlslant, I c.) In the Indian Museum, Calcutta, are a pair of this species collected by 

 Dr. Horsfield in Java. 



t Genus Laxita, Butler. 



Laxita, Butler, Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond., Zoology, second series, vol. i, p. 546 (1877); Abisara {p^rt). 

 Distant, Rhop. Malay, p. 188(1883). 



" The rounded wings of Abisara tani la and the allied species distinguish them from typical Abisara; 

 but I am doubtful of its generic distinction." (Butler. 1. c.) The characters pointed out on page 306 seem to 

 me to be so well-marked that structually Laxita is the most distinct genus of the subfamily. The genus 

 probably contains several species in addition to the three enumerated below, including L. or/>hmi, Boisduval, 

 which has been recorded (Heivitsoii, Journ Linn. ?oc.. Zoology, vol. viii, p. 149 (1865) from Singapore, but is 

 not mentioned by Mr. Distant in his ' Rhopalocera Malayana." 



Laxita damajanti. Abisara damajanti, Felder, Wien. Ent. Monatsch., vol. iv, p. 397, n. 13 (i860) ; id.. 

 Distant, Rhop. Malay., p. 192, n. 6 (1883); Taxila damnjatiii, Kirby, Cat. Diurn. Lep., p. 2S6, n. 6 (1871). 

 Habitat: Perak, Malay Peninsula. Expansr : i"7 to i"8 inches. Drscription: "Male. Wings red 

 [ruddy], upperside unmarked, underside with bluish discal spots (each placed on a black spot), hindwing with 

 four submarginal streaks, the first bluish, the second and fourth fuscnus, the third whitish." 



"An e.vceedingly beautiful species closely allied to A. or/>hua, Boisduval, but the underside of the forewing 

 ornamented with bluish spots sufficiently distinct." (Felder, 1. c.) 



Male. Upperside, both wings rich crimson Forewing with the costa and outer margin very narrowly 

 black, the veins defined with black outwardly, and a fine black line on the disco-cellular nervules. Hindwing 

 with the costal margin broadly black, with some obscure blackish diffused patches between the veins towards 

 the outer margia. Undersidf, both wings rich crimson marked with numerous black and rich shining blue 



