284 IAXMX1D.T3. 



In the year succeeding the publication of Scudder's work the 

 third volume of the 'Butterflies of India, Burma, and Ceylon,' by 

 L. de Niceville appeared. I think very few of us who were then 

 in India, glad and thankful as we were for the work, realized 

 what a help it was or were properly grateful for it. In this work 

 de Niceville has given a most exhaustive key to all the Indian 

 genera of the Lyccenidce, but unfortunately he has only indicated 

 by head lines the various groups that in his opinion were formed 

 by certain genera, and gives no account of the characters that 

 separated group from group. The key to the genera is naturally 

 very long and is somewhat difficult to follow, but the groups are, 

 in my opinion, to a Jarge extent natural, and I have, so far as it 

 was possible, adapted them to the arrangement I propose below. 



The only important classification that has followed de Niceville's 

 is that of Schatz and Rober (' Die Familien und G-attungen der 

 Tagfalter,' 1892). In this work the Lyccenidce are divided into two 

 subfamilies the Theclince-Lyccenidce and the Lepteninw. The 

 former includes the whole of the Lyccenidce found in the Indo- 

 Malayan, Eegion, and therefore, so far as the Indian fauna is 

 concerned, no major divisions of the genera in the family are 

 attempted by the learned authors. 



After a long and careful examination of the venation and 

 structure in all the Indian genera of the Lyccenidce, I believe I 

 have arrived at an arrangement that separates them into seven 

 natural major groups or subfamilies, which are distinguishable one 

 from the other by purely structural characters. This arrangement 

 also accords to some extent with the divisions as proposed by 

 Messrs. Doherty and de JViceville. The characters can be briefly 

 tabulated as below. 



Key to the Subfamilies of the Lycaenida?. 



A. Legs abnormal ; either tibiae or tarsi peculiar or 



elongated Gerydince. 



B. Legs normal as described for the family. 



. Fore wing : veins 5 and 6 approximate at 



base, or out of 7 beyond apex of cell, 

 a'. Fore wing : vein 11 anastomosed with 



vein 12 Poritiincv. 



V. Fore wing: vein 11 not anastomosed with 



vein 12 Arhopalince. 



/>. Fore wing : veins 5 and 6 not approximate 



at base. 



'. Fore wing : vein 7 terminating at or before 

 apex of wing on costal margin. 



a-. Hind wing : without lobe Lyccenincp. 



lr. Hind wing : lobate or sublobate Theclino'. 



V. Fore wing: vein 7 terminating after apex 

 ^ of wing on terminal margin. 



a". Fore wing : vein 8 absent Curetince. 



6 2 . Fore wing : vein 8 present TAphyrinfp. 



