336 MORPHII).E. 



Eyes large, prominent. 



Labial Falpi nearly erect, the tip raised above the level of the top of the eyes, compressed, not convergent, rather 

 small, clothed in front with scaly hairs ; the back of the middle joint clothed with longer hairs, set on 

 transversely, and applied to the f;ice ; extending forward only to a short distance in front of the head. 



Antenna: long, nearl}' straight, slender, composed of elongated joints, each slightly thickened at the tip ; 

 terminated by a long, gradually formed, but slender club, formed of shortened joints, the extremity being 

 gradually attenuated. 

 Thorax robust, very woolly. 



Fore Wings large, wide, elongate-triangular. Fore margin very much arched ; apical angle more or less rounded. 

 Apical margin more than two thirds of the length of the anterior ; hinder angle rounded. Hinder margin 

 nearly straight, more than one third longer tlian the apical margin, which causes the latter to appear truncate. 

 Costal vein long, extending nearly to five sixths of the length of the wing, being connected with the costa by 

 two little oblique veinlets near its extremity. Postcostal vein with its first branch arising about one third of 

 the length of the wing, running into the costal vein at about one half of the length of the wing ; second branch 

 very minute, connecting the postcostal and costal veins at about two thirds of the length of the wing ; third 

 and fourth branches arising close together at about five sixths of the length of the wing. Upper disco-cellular 

 obsolete, or very minute, arising from the postcostal at rather more than one third of the length of the wing ; 

 middle disco-cellular very short, oblique ; lower disco-cellular much longer, oblique, slightly curved, uniting 

 with the third branch of the median vein at a ver}' short distance beyond its origin ; closing the discoidal cell 

 in a moderately acute point considerably before the middle of the wing ; this third branch very much bent 

 beyond the junction with the lower disco-cellular vein. 



Hind Wings nearlj' rounded-oval. Costal margin not very much curved. Outer margin waved. Precostal vein short ; 

 its tip bent towards the body. Costal vein extending to about two thirds of the length of the costa. Postcostal 

 vein branching very near the base of the wing. The discoidal vein straight at its base, both the upper and 

 lower disco-cellular veins being obsolete, and the cell open. The third branch of the median vein is strongly 

 angulated at a little distance from its base, almost approaching the discoidal vein. On the upper side, the disc 

 is furnished near the base, but towards the costal margin (so as to be partially covered by the base of the 

 inner margin of the fore wings), with a tuft of hairs in the male, and the under surface is marked with two or 

 more ocelli. 



Fore Legs of the male slender, and rather elongated, clothed with rather short hairs, and not very feathery. 

 Fore Legs of the female longer than in the males, slender. Tibia and tarsus clothed with scaly hairs, almost 

 concealing the articulations of the latter ; the terminal ones being armed with minute spines. 



Four Hind Legs long and strong. The tibia longer than the femur, scaly, with a few very short spines beneath ; 

 tibial spurs short. Tarsus as long as the tibia, rather more slender, finely spined beneath. Claws slender, 

 carved, acute. Paronj'chiu small. 

 Abdomen rather narrow and elongated. 



Thansfoema tioxs unknown. 



The large and very Iieautitul insects composing the present genus are natives of tlie East, ami may be considered as the Old World 

 representatives of the jNIorphidaj of South America. The characters given above are those of the sj)ecies marked on the upper side 

 witii splendid patches of blue or lilac colours. These species, it will be seen from the description given above, agree in the arrangement 

 of the veins of the fore wings with Discophora and Zeuxidia (except in wanting the short spurlike branch arising from the third 

 branch of the median vein), especially as regards the coalesced condition of the first and second branches of the postcostal vein; and 

 hence, although in the generic description given above I have described the costal vein as connected with the costa by two short 

 branchlet.s, the normal structure of the veins and branches recjuires us to consider the first of these branchlets as the real termination of 

 the costal vein, the second of these branchlets as the real extremity of the first postcostal branch, and the supjiosed extremity of the 

 costal vein as the real extremity of the second postcostal branch. With such very different forms as Zeuxidia, Disco])hora, and 

 Thaumantis, it is remarkable to find such perfect identity extending to these minute branchlets ; proving the great value of the 

 characters afforded by the veins of the wings, as well as the affinity of these genera. Tiiis, too, is the more remarkable, because the 

 splendid insect figured in our PI. LV. as au example of this genus, under the name of Thaumantis Camadeva, although agreeing very 

 closely in form with some of the species with glossy blue patches (Th. Diores, for example;, differs from them in having a different 

 arrangement of the postcostal branches : the first branch being free through its whole length, and extending to the costa beyond the 

 extremity of the costal vein ; the second branch being entirely obsolete ; and the third and fourth branches arising close together at 

 al)out five sixths of the length of the wing. I have represented this arrangement in my figures of this species, jmblished in the Cabinet 

 of Oriental Entomology. This species also differs from the preceding species, in having a row of five beautiful ocelli on the under side, 

 in each of the four wings, beyond the middle. This arrangement is also found in the beautiful new species from the collection of 

 W. W. Saunders, Esq., described below under the name of Th. Nourmahal. 



THAUMANTIS. 



1. IlIAUM. OnANA. 



iMorpho Odana Gmkirl, Etir. M. jx. p. 445. n. iG. ; 

 IIorsfiM, Cut. Lrp. Ins. Coll. East Ind. Cump. pi. 6. 

 {. 5. ami 5 a. ; Bnisdm-ul, Spec. Gen. I,pp. i. pi. 12. 

 (8 15.) f. 1. (Tliaumatis Odana). 



Thaumantis Oda Huhner, Summl. exot. Sehmett. Band ii. 



pi. -. 

 Morpho Klugius Zinhen-Soiiitner in A'ova Acta, xv. p. l65. 



pi. l.";. f. 12, 13. (male-, mistaken for fern, by Z. S.). 

 Java. B. M. 



