306 NYMPHALIDiE. 



Four Hind Legs elongated, scaly, and robust. Femur rather curved. Tibia straight. Intermediate tibia with 

 an elongated patch of plush-like down on the base beneath ; the remainder of the limb thickly armed with 

 short acute spines ; those on the upper surface placed irregularly, but those at the sides and beneath in rows. 

 Tibial spurs short. Tarsi nearly equal to the tibia in length, as weU as in thickness, and similarly ai'med all 

 over with short, strong, acute spines. Ungues long, rather slender, very acute, and curved. Paronychia 

 with the outer di\dsion nearly as long the ungues, but much more slender, curved ; inner division shorter, and 

 equally slender. 

 Abdomen small, conical. 



Transformations unknown. 



Although at first sight not appearing to possess any remarkable peculiarity of structure, the type of the pi-esent genus, on 

 examination, is found to exhibit several remarkable characters, which not only require the establishment of a genus for its reception, 

 but even render very doubtful tlie situation in the present family to 'which it ought to be assigned. Of those characters, the very 

 minute palpi, hairy eyes, form of the outline of the fore wings, and especially the form of the costal outhne of the hind wings, and the 

 very beautiful markings of the latter on the under side (reminding us strongly of the markings of Pyramels Atalanta), accompanied 

 by a row of beautlfLd eyelets, and the very splnj- armature of the hind legs, are the most important. In general respects, the genus is 

 perhaps most nearly allied to Smyrna and Agrlas ; and, like the species of these genera, the insect of which the present genus is 

 composed is a native of tropical America (Venezuela). It is impossible, also, to overlook its general resemblance to Aganisthos. 



pyciNA. 



]. Ptcina Zamba. 



Pycina Zamba Boisduvdl MS.; Douhl. Westw. iS,- Hewitson, Gen. Diurn. Lep. pi. 48. f. 3. 

 Venezuela. B. M. 



Genus LXXY. NY3IPHALIS. 



Nysiphalis Latreille, God*. 



Charaxes Ochsenheimer, Boisduval, E. Doiddeday, Blanchard. 



Iasics Sicainson. 



Eriboea and Tigridia p. UUhner, Verz. h. Schn. 



Papiilv sect.* Fabricius, Syst. Glossat. 



Body extremelj^ robust ; hind wings generally with one or two tails ; under surface of the wings beautifully 

 ornamented with patches and markings of varied colours. Female scarcely differing in appearance from the 

 male, but larger and sometimes with a paler oblique bar on the fore wings. 

 Head moderately large, woolly, not tufted in front. 



Fyes very prominent, naked. 



Labial Palpi large, porrected obliquely ; the tip elevated considerably above the level of the top of the eyes, and 

 extending in front of the head nearly as far as its length ; rather apart at the base, but approximating at the 

 tip ; thickly scaly. The extremity of the second joint above clothed with short erect hairs, resting upon the 

 face in repose ; terminal joint somewhat naked, small, and conical ; inside with the scales more hair-like. 



Antennae ratlier short, not half the lengtli of the fore wings, strong, straight ; terminated by a long, gradually 

 formed, but not very robust, fusiform club, slightly attenuated at the extreme tip, where it is obliquely 

 truncate, with a very fine carina on the under side, on each side of which is a very slight longitudinal 

 impression. 

 Thorax very robust, oblong, thickly clothed with wool, especially on the metathorax. 



Fore Wings subtriangular. Fore margin moderately arched ; apical angle somewliat acute, but rounded off at 

 its extremity. Apical margin oblique, slightly emarginate, and almost entire, three fourths of the length of 

 tlie costa. Inner margin straight, about equal in lengtli to the apical margin. Veins very strong. Costal 

 vein not extending to the middle of the costa. Postcostal vein with the first and second branches arising 

 before the anterior extremity of the discoidal cell; third branch arising at a very little distance bej'ond the 

 cell ; fourth branch arising also at a small distance bej'ond the third, at rather more than the length of two 

 fifths of the wing from the base ; elbowed downwards towards the tip of the wing. The upper disco-cellular 

 vein arising at about the length of one third of the wing from the base, very short, transverse ; as is also 

 the ratlier longer middle disco-cellular ; the lower disco-cellular still longer, straight, transverse, very slender, 

 and uniting with the third branch of tlie median vein at some distance from its origin, closing the discoidal cell 

 transversely. Third branch of the median vein gradually arched. 



