270 



NYMPHALID^. 



I have restored Hiibner's name laera, which he gave to the two Insects mentioned below, to which he added P. Afra Drury, which 

 belongs to the genus Aterlca. 



The species inhabit tropical Western Africa, and differ considerably in the style of their colouring ; I. Crithea having dark brown 

 wings with paler buff-coloured markings, the hind wings having a broad bar of buff; whilst I. Coenobita has black -coloured wings with 

 bluish-white transverse bars, more like the typical Neptides, to which indeed it more closely approximates, especially in the very 

 minute size of the tarsi of its fore legs. I. Crithea bears a very great resemblance to some species of Adolias, especially those of the 

 subgenus Euryphene of Boisduval. 



lAERA. 



I. Iakba Crithea Hiibner, Verz. bek. Schm. p. 38. n. S33. 



Papilio Crithea Drury, Illust. vol. ii. pi. 16. f. R, 6. and 



Appendix; Fabricias, Ent. Syst. iii. pt. ]. p. 132. n. 



406.; Cramer, Pap. pi. 138. f. CD. 

 Limenitis Crithea E. Doubkday, List. Lrp. Brit. Mm. 



p. Q3. 

 Nymphalis Opis var. y. Godurt, Enc. M. ix. p. 381. n. 



104. 

 ? 5 Papilio Opis Drury, III. vol. ii. pi. 17- (■ 5, 6. and 



Appendix ; Cramer, Pap. pi. 138. f. A.B. 



Nymphalis Opis Godart, Enc. M. ix. p. 381. n. 104. 

 Sierra Leone. B. M. 



2, Iaera C(Enobita Doubl. Westw.t^ Hewitson, Gen. D. Lep. pi. 43. f. 2. 

 Papilio Coenobita Fabricius, Ent. Syst. iii. pt. 1. p. 247. 

 n. 769.; Jones, Icon. v. t. 27- f- 2.; Donov. Ins. of 

 India, p. 53. pi. 35. f. 3. (edit. Westw.) 

 Nymphalis Coenobita Godart, Enc. M. ix. p. 433. but not 



of Cramer. 

 Limenitis } Coenobita E. Doubl. List. Lep. B. M. p. 93. 

 Sierra Leone. B. M. 



Genus LIT. NEPTIS. 



Neptis Fabricius {Systema Glossatorum), Horsjield. 

 Limenitis p. Boisd., Douhleday. 

 AccA Hiibn. 

 Ntmphalis God'. 



Body slender ; fore wings long ; antennas short ; palpi small, hairy, and very acute. 

 Head rather iDroad, with a frontal tuft. 



Eyes large, prominent, and naked. 



AntenncB rather short, not half the length of tlie fore wings ; terminated by a sliort, slender, gradually formed 

 club, the tip of which is curved outwardly, linely keeled beneath. 



Labial Palpi small, directed obliquely upwards, scarcely reaching above the level of the middle of the eyes. The 

 terminal joint in the same line as the preceding, compressed, clothed with long loose hairs along the whole of 

 the fore edge, and also on the hinder side at the extremity of the second joint ; basal joint short ; second joint 

 broader and slightly curved at the base ; terminal joint, in the typical species, nearly as long as the preceding, 

 slender, and very acute at the tip. 

 Thorax rather slender, scarcely broader than the head, oval, very slightly hirsute, often clothed with metallic scales. 



Fore Wings elongate, triangular. The anterior margin very slightly arched ; apical angle rounded. Apical 

 margin i-ounded, not, or but slightly, sinuated. Inner margin three fourths of the length of the anterior, more 

 or less emarginate towards the middle. Costal vein moderately strong, not extending to the middle of the 

 costa. Subcostal vein slender; its first branch arising at about one third of the length of tlie wing, and 

 uniting with the costa a httle beyond the middle ; second branch, in the typical species, arising close beyond 

 the first, before tlie anterior extremity of the discoidal cell ; third branch arising at about two thirds of the 

 length of the wing and extending to the tip ; fourth branch arising at about three fourths of the length of the 

 wing and reaching to the apical margin below the apex, the apical portion of the vein being deflexed. Upper 

 disco-cellular vein almost obliterated, arising close beyond the origin of the second subcostal branch. Middle 

 disco-cellular short, arched towards the base of the wing in the typical species. Lower disco-cellular obsolete, 

 so that the discoidal cell is open, its place often indicated by a dark bar having a slightly curved paler line 

 dividing the pale discoidal patch into two parts, and extending to tlie median vein just before the origin of its 

 third branch, which is slightly arched. 

 Hind Wings very oval. The costal margin much arched. The outer margin rounded, slightly scalloped. 

 Precostal vein forming a short straight spur forked at its extremity. Costal vein slightly curved, reaching 

 only to the middle of the costal margin. Subcostal vein arising from the costal just beyond the origin of the 

 precostal, and emitting its branch almost at its base. The upper disco-cellular forming the curved base of the 

 discoidal vein. The lower disco-cellular wanting, so that the narrow discoidal cell is open. Median vein 

 branching below the branches of the subcostal vein, with the spaces between the extremities of tlie branches 

 along the outer margin of the wing wider than usual, in consequence of the costal vein extending only to the 

 middle of the costa. 

 Fore Legs of the male very slender and short, more or less clothed with very delicate white hairs. Femur 



