MYSCELIA. 221 



subcostal soon after its origin. Cell open, or closed by a merely rudimentary disco-cellular 

 nervule. 



Anterior Legs of the male slender, scaly, and clothed with delicate hairs. Femur and tibia about 

 of equal length. Tarsus subcylindric, more or less tapering towards the apes, which is pointed. 

 Anterior Legs of the female more robust, scaly. Femur rather longer than the tibia. Tarsus 

 about as long as the tibia, moderately stout, scaly. First joint more than equal to the rest 

 combined, cylindric, more or less spiny all round, armed at the apex, as are the three following 

 joints, with a stout spine on each side ; second joint about one third longer than the third ; 

 fourth joint shorter and narrower than the third ; fifth joint as long as, or longer than, the 

 fourth, more or less mucronate at the apex. 



Middle and Posterior Legs moderately robust. Femora of the former longer than, of the latter 

 equal to, the tibia?. Tibia? rather longer than the tarsus, slightly spiny without, more thickly 

 and irregularly within : spurs rather short, Tarsus with the first joint spiny above ; all the 

 joints spiny laterally and below ; the spines below arranged nearly in a double series. First 

 joint longer than the rest combined ; second joint one fourth the length of the first ; third and 

 fourth progressively shorter ; fifth joint longer than the first. Claws curved, grooved below. 

 Paronychia with the outer lacinia equal in length to the claw, slender ; the inner broader, shorter, 

 very hairy. Pulvillus about as long as the claw, jointed ; the second joint often very broad. 

 Abdomen about two thirds the length of the inner margin of the posterior wings, rather slender. 



Larva and Pupa unknown. 



Myscelia differs from the preceding genus in two very striking characters ; its naked eyes, and the different position 

 of the second subcostal nervule of the anterior wings. These, alone, readily distinguish the two genera, without the 

 necessity of having recourse to more minute differences. 



There is considerable variety of form and colouring in the different species of this genus, and, perhaps, it may be 

 necessary at some future time to subdivide it ; but, in truth, it is not easy to find even sectional characters, beyond the 

 trivial ones of the more or less angular outline of the wings, or the differences in colour. 



In Myscelia Orsis, Mys. Cyaniris, Mys. Antholia, and their allies, the anterior wings are almost falcate ; the shoulder of 

 the posterior wings is much produced, and in the first-mentioned species these wings have a short tail-like prolongation 

 at the third median nervule. In all these species some shade of blue is the predominant colour of the upper surface of 

 the wings ; in the males of Myscelia it is a rich deep blue, in Mys. Cyaniris and Mys. Antholia it is a bright metallic 

 blue, in other species the blue tends more or less to slate colour. Most of these species have the wings marked 

 longitudinally with white ; and this is the case with the females of Mys. Orsis, in which species the male is almost of 

 a uniform colour. Myscelia Antholia is remarkable for its more elongate palpi and its short antenna?, showing a 

 tendency to the genus Libythea. 



The next group is distinguished by its yellow markings, in some species answering completely to the white 

 markings of the preceding group. These have the anterior wings much resembling those of the first group ; the 

 posterior without so projecting a shoulder. 



The third group has the shoulder of the posterior wings much produced ; the anterior wings sometimes approaching 

 to the form of the preceding group, sometimes triangular, the outer margin being straight. They occasionally have 

 the anal angle of the posterior wings produced. The prevailing colour of the upper surface of the wings in this group 

 is fuscous or greyish brown, more or less glossed with blue, sometimes brilliantly so ; the apex of the anterior wings 

 generally offering some white spots. One species, Myscelia Margarita, is nearly white, with the apex and outer 

 margin of the wings fuscous. In some species of this group, the anterior tarsi of the males are set with a few slender 

 spines. 



May, 1849. 3 N 



