South- African Butter jiies. 89 



Genus LYC^NA, Fab. 

 1. Lyccena Barber ce, (PL V. fig. 7). 



Exp. 6-8 lin. 



DarJc-broivn : cilia broad, white, interrupted with brown 

 at ends of nervures . Hind-iving : a very indistinct hind-mar- 

 ginal row of blackish dots. Underside. — Brotvnish-gray 

 (the hind- wing irrorated with wliitish) ; each wing with a 

 brownish incompletely white-ringed spot at end of cell ; 

 a rather irregular discal row of similar confluent spots ; 

 and a double sub-marginal row of white lunules. Hind- 

 iving : along hind-marginal edge, and inwardly bounded 

 by double row of white lunules, a roiv of black, brilliantly 

 golden-dotted spots, of which the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th 

 are large and conspicuous ; a golden mark (without 

 black) at anal angle ; two round, dark-brown, white- 

 ringed spots near base, one above, the other below cell. 



The sexes appear to be alike, excepting for the rather 

 larger size of the ? . The discoidal cell is remarkably 

 short in both fore and hind-wings, its termination being 

 considerably before the middle. 



The nearest allies to this minute species with which I 

 am acquainted are two Lyccence in the British Museum ; 

 one from Ceylon, labelled " L. Ghinga," the other from 

 California, and named " L. exilis ; " but I am not aware 

 that either of these has been described. L. Barberce 

 differs from both in its broader, blunter wings, dark-brown 

 colour above, and broad ivhite cilia interrupted with broivn. 

 The Californian species presents the peculiar character of 

 a strong sub-metallic reddish gloss on the outer half of 

 the fore-wing beneath ; and, above, the wings have a 

 bluish suffusion at the bases. 



I have named this Lyccena, which may fairly dispute 

 with the Californian species the distinction of being the 

 smallest of known butterflies, in honour of Mrs. F. W. 

 Barber, of Highlands, near Grahamstown, who has ren- 

 dered important services to South- African Entomology. 

 The first examples of the insect that I received were 

 taken by Mrs. Barber and Mr. H. J. Atherstone in the 

 neighbourhood of Highlands. I have since received 

 specimens from the Tsomo River, from Burghersdorp, 

 and from Murraysburg, respectively captured by Mr. 

 Bowker, Mr. Kannemeyer, and Mr. Muskett ; so that 

 the insect would appear to be widely distributed in the 

 eastern portion of the Cape Colony, and beyond the 

 frontier. Mrs. Barber notes it as occurring " within an 



