CASTALIUS. 429 



have been so far procured), or what I think is more likely, a variety 

 from an arid dry locality at the northern and western limits of its 

 range. It differs on the upperside chiefly by the great width of 

 the white medial baud that crosses the wings ; on the underside 

 by the narrowness of the black markings. All these are characters 

 that in the allied form G. dec.idia are recognized as appertaining to 

 the dry-season brood of that insect. 



7G9. Castalius decidia, Hcioitson (Lycsena), Rvot. Butt, v, 1876, 



Lycaena, pi. 1, fig. 4; Moore, Lep. Ceyl. i, 1881, p. 84; de N. 



BiM. Ind. iii, 1890, p. 201 ; Davidson $ Aitken, Jour. Bomb. N. 



H. Soc. v, 1890, p. 353. 



Castalius hamatus, Moore, Lep. Ceyl. i, 1881, p. 84, pi. 36, 



figs. (3, 6 a. 

 Castalius interruptus, de N., J. A. S. B. 1883, p. 74, pi. l,fig. 12 $ . 



<5. Upperside: dark brownish black, a broad medial oblique 

 white band across both fore and hind wings, not extended on the 

 fore wing above vein 5, above vein 3 produced shortly outwards 

 and downwards into a hook-like form. Underside : white with 

 the following black markings : On fore wing a short, outwardly- 

 pointed, oblique, clavate streak from base joined below to a semi- 

 circular broad band that 

 reaches the costa ; a short, 

 outwardly oblique, upper 

 discal bar, its outer edge 

 generally emarginate; the 

 apex, the termen narrowly, 

 a large irregular sub- 

 quadrate spot touching it 

 Q2 i a ^ ne middle and a very 



Castcdius^dccidia. large inwardly oblique ir- 



b. Castalius elna. regular spot or mark close 



to the tornus. On the hind 



wing : a hook-shaped mark at base sometimes slender ; an 

 inwardly oblique short clavate bar from apex, three coalescent spots 

 extended outwards from the dorsum above the tornus formed into 

 a sinuate irregular mark ; a spot further outwards in interspace 4 ; 

 a terminal series of slender lunules and an anticiliary fine line. 

 Antenna?, head, thorax and abdomen black ; beneath : the palpi, 

 thorax and abdomen white. $ . Similar to the c? on both upper 

 and under sides, but on the former the white medial band is 

 narrower, on the latter the black markings are broader. Antenn3, 

 head, thorax and abdomen as in the d 1 . 

 Exp. 6 $ 28-35 mm. (MO-1-36"). 



Hah. Sikhim ; Malda; Rohilkuud ; Orissa ; Western and 

 Southern India : Bombay, Poona, the ]S"ilgiris, Kanara, Travan- 

 core ; Ceylon ; Assam ; Burma. 



Var. hamatus, Moore, represents specimens taken in localities 

 with constant and heavy rainfall or specimens of wet-season broods. 



