88 Lionel de Niceville's note on the 



and lastly a fulvous line defined on both sides with 

 black. In the Ceylon specimens the area beyond the 

 ocelli is pale violet, having an obscure sinuous dark line, 

 and two finer lines on the margin, with the area between 

 them fulvous. 



The variation in the number and size of the ocelli I 

 consider unimjDortant, as the only two specimens of this 

 species I have seen differ the one from the other in this 

 respect ; and, as regards the other markings, I think it 

 may be conceded that Cramer's figure is much too highly 

 coloured, differing in this respect from any species of 

 the genus Mycalesis known to me. This being granted, 

 our Ceylon specimens may be referred to P. jJolydecta, 

 Cramer, as surmised by Mr. Moore. It comes in Mr. 

 Moore's grouj^ Samanta of Mycalesis, and is nearest to 

 M. Langi, de N. (Butt, of India, vol. i., p. 130, n. 112, 

 1883), from which it differs, on the upper side of the 

 fore wing, in having i\o subapical ocelli, and the lower 

 ocellus being smaller. The tone of coloration of the 

 under side also differs considerably. I append a full 

 description of the species : — 



(J . Upper side : Both wings dark brown. Fore wing with a 

 large ocellus placed in the first median interspace, and extending 

 some distance beyond it above and below ; black, with a prominent 

 white pupil and ochreous iris, this ocellus being placed on a discal 

 band, inwardly sharply defined, outwardly diffused, paler than the 

 ground colour. Hind wing with a small ocellus in the second 

 median interspace ; a submarginal waved indistinct fuscous line 

 and two marginal lines continued obscurely on the fore wing. 

 Under side : Both wings paler brown, glossed with ochreous ; with 

 a subbasal irregular fuscous line and a discal ochreous nearly 

 straight line inwardly sharply defined, outwardly diffused, with 

 the ground colour beyond it paler and passing into pale violet ; a 

 submarginal sinuous obscure dark line and two finer marginal 

 black lines. Fore wing with four very small ocelli, hind wing with 

 seven. Cilia pale brown throughout. Female a little larger, the 

 wings broader and more rounded, and lacking the usual male 

 secondary sexual characters. The under side of the forewing has 

 five ocelli ; otherwise as in the male. Expanse, ^ , 1'95 in. ; 

 5 , 2-05 in. 



Hah. Tranquebar (Cramer), Ceylon. 



The Mycalesis j^olydecta of Butler (Ann. & Mag. of 

 Nat. Hist., third series, vol. xx., p. 402, pi. ix., figs. 5, 6, 



