EPINEPHELE IANIRA. 149 



The imago (Figs. 155 to 157) has the costal margin of 

 the fore-wings convex, and the hind-margin nearly straight. 

 The hind-wings are scalloped. The fringe of all the wings 

 is pale, and so is the costal margin of the female. The 

 ground-colour of the upper surface is a rather warm 

 brown, darker along the hind-margin of all the wings. 

 Within this margin is a lighter band, vague in the male, 

 and distinct though not of uniform shade and width in 

 the female. On the female, too, this light band is again 

 bordered within by a darker shade. As in many species 

 of this group, the male has a darker band (in this case 

 indistinct) across the fore-wings. Both sexes have two 

 black spots, sometimes white-centred, on the lighter part 

 of the fore-wings. On the under-surface (Fig. 156) the 

 fore-wings are of a yellowish tint, except the hind and 

 costal margins, which are brown ; the two eye-spots are 

 repeated, and there is a dark patch about half-way along 

 the costal margin. The hind-wings have a brindled 

 arrangement of black and brown, with a very irregular 

 light band across the entire wing, roughly parallel to the 

 hind-margin. This species is subject to little variation 

 except in size. 



Epinephele, Hub. 



The genus Epinephele contains three species : E. ianira, 

 E. tithonus, and E. hyperanthes, all, the first especially, 

 being common, but sombre, summer butterflies, with a 

 weak, uncertain flight. 



E. ianira, Linn. (Meadow Brown) (Figs. 159 to 163), 

 is the particularly common brown butterfly that in the 

 summer months confronts us at every turn, and, I fear, 

 too often meets with the contempt due to familiarity, which 

 is the fate of most common things ; and certainly its quaker 

 garb of simple though harmonious browns does not tend to 



