316 NYMPHALID.E. 



with the costal vein before the middle of the wing ; second branch arising at about the distance of three fourths 

 of the wing from the base, extending to the tip of the wing; this second branch is connected with the costal 

 vein by a very short, oblique, and slender veinlet, arising just beyond its origin ; terminal portion of the post- 

 costal vein running to the apical margin below the apex. Upper disco-cellular vein very short, oblique; 

 middle disco-cellular rather longer and less oblique; outer disco-cellular stiU longer and more transverse, 

 slightly arched, uniting with the third branch of the median vein at a short distance from its origin, thus 

 doling the discoidal cell before the middle of the wing; this third branch is slightly curved. 



Hind Wings subovate. Costal margin arched. Apical margin scalloped. The third branch of the median vein 

 extending into an elongated tail, not dilated at the tip. Anal angle rounded. Precostal vein short, nearly 

 erect, vdt\\ the tip bent outwards. Postcostal vein branching near the base. Outer disco-cellular vein distinct, 

 archino-, closing the short discoidal cell, uniting with the third branch of the median vein close to its origin. 

 The disc of the wing, near the base of the tail, is marked with several small black subocellated spots. 



Fore Legs of the male very minute and feathered. Femur with a row of hairs set on at right angles beneath. 

 Tibia shorter than the femur. Tarsus about half the length of the tibia, and very slender. Fore^ Legs of the 

 female considerably longer, and twice as thick as those of the male, thickly squamo-hirsute. Tibia about two 

 thirds of the length of the femur. Tarsus nearly as long as the tibia. Basal joint scarcely occupying half 

 the length of the tarsus ; it and the three following joints furnished on the inside with a pair of rather strong 

 spines. 



Four Hind Legs short and rather robust, squamose. Tibia? and tarsi furnished beneath with short slender spines. 

 Claws long, slender, curved, and acute. Terminal joint of the tarsus armed above with a series of sets longer 

 than the claws. 

 Abdomen small, ovate. 



Transformations unknown. '' 



We are only acquainted with one species of the present genus, which is a native of Honduras, and which seems to form the con- 

 necting link between Protogonius and Hypna on the one side, and Paphia on the other. The comparatively small size of the body, 

 and the large size and rather delicate texture of the wings, indicate a much less powerful style of flight than that of Nymphalis and its 

 allies. The arrangement of the veins of the fore wings also merits some remarks. Instead of the ordinary four free branches of the 

 postcostal vein, each extending, as we have seen in so many of the preceding genera, to the costal and apical margins of the wing, we 

 here find several of these branches obliterated ; there is, in fact, only one branch, instead of two, preceding the extremity of the 

 discoidal cell, and this branch is extremely short and runs into the costal vein, which extends nearly to the tip of the wing ; at about 

 three fourths of the length of the wing the postcostal vein is forked, the anterior division of the fork of course representing one of the 

 branches; but on the anterior side of this branch, and close to its origin, is a minute oblique veinlet connecting it with the costal vein. 

 In the hitherto little studied condition of the veins it is perhaps premature to determine what is the homology of this little veinlet, 

 but analogy would suggest that it is the third branch of the postcostal vein (the second being obsolete), and that, although arising 

 from the front of the°ucceeding branch, we must consider it to have normally arisen from a point in the postcostal vein preceding 

 the furcation, and to have been anchylosed, partly with the body of the postcostal vein preceding the furcation, and partly with the 

 anterior branch of this furcation, in which case this anterior branch will represent the real fourth branch of the postcostal vein. It is 

 especially by the study of an extended series of such anomalies as the present, that we are likely to obtain a correct idea of the 

 pterology of Lepidopterous insects, a branch of the science hitherto almost in its infancy. We find nearly the same arrangement of 

 the branches of the postcostal vein in Paphia Halice. Indeed it is impossible to doubt that this genus and Paphia are very closely 

 allied, if not absolutely congenerical, regard being had to the modifications which occur in the veins of the species admitted into the 

 latter genus. 



The under surface of the wings of this interesting species is quite unlike the upper surface ; instead of the plain uniform tints, we 

 there see the entire disc thickly marked with minute darker transverse bars, except a transversely oval patch at the base of the tail of 

 the hind wings, which is destitute of these bars, but which bears the black and white spots seen on the upper side. This pecidiar 

 character of the markings of the under side of the wings is also found in Paphia Verticordia ; indeed, were I not acquainted with both 

 sexes of Echemus, I should have considered it a variety of the male of that species, which wants the pale markings of the upper side 

 of the fore wings of the female, as figured in Hiibner's Zutrage. 



CYMATOGRAMMA. 



1. Cym. EcHE.Mis E. Doubleday MS.; Doubl. U'eslw. Sj Hewits. Gen. Diiirn. Lep. pi. 49. f. -i. 

 Honduras. B. M. 



