DANAIN^. 4^ 



secondary sexual characters in the form of small vesicular sacs or of 

 smooth differently-scaled streaks or patches on the wings ; and several 

 of the latter genus have the inner margin of the fore-wings greatly 

 expanded convexly, so as to cover a considerable space of the hind- 

 wings, and the two opposed surfaces are smooth and glistening, and 

 coated with scales of different form from those clothing the wings 

 generally. I believe that the peculiar tufted organs protruded from 

 the extremity of the abdomen by many species of these two genera, 

 as well as of Amauris, Lycorea, and Ituna, are also peculiar to the 

 male. 



The South- American (Heliconioid) forms of Banaince are more 

 specialised, and depart farther in structure and appearance from the 

 other groups of Nymphalidce and of butterflies generally, than the Old- 

 World forms. In such genera as Mechanitis and Melincea, the elonga- 

 tion of antennse, wings, and abdomen is extraordinary; and it is 

 scarcely less in Methona, Athesis, and Ithoinia, which are rendered of 

 even more remarkable aspect by the great (in many Ithomicc almost 

 entire) transparency of their wings. The neuration of their hind- 

 wings exhibits many peculiarities, particularly that of the crowding 

 together of the costal and subcostal nervures (with the branches of the 

 latter) close to the costa ; and in a good many cases the arrangement 

 of the disco-cellular and radial nervules differs considerably in the sexes 

 of the same species. 



The maximum of size in the Sub-Family is attained by the species 

 of the very remarkable Oriental and Austro-Malayan genus Hestia — 

 semi-transparent white or greyish butterflies, strongly veined and 

 spotted with black — some of which expand over six inches across the 

 fore-wings. Many of the Euploecc from the same region are also of 

 large size, and nearly all the species of Danais are butterflies of con- 

 siderable stature. 



Conspicuous rather than brilliant colouring prevails throughout the 

 group, the bands and spots being usually in strong contrast to the 

 ground-colour ; but many of the Uuplcece have a splendid purple-blue 

 gloss over their dark-brown white-spotted wings. There are few, if 

 any, instances of marked disparity in the colouring of the sexes. The 

 head and thorax throughout the Old-World forms, and in many 

 of those characteristic of the Neo-Tropical Kegion, are spotted with 

 white. 



Africa, as stated above, is singularly poor in Danainm. The great 

 Eastern genus Eiqilcea only reaches the edge of the region in two 

 species inhabiting the Mascarene Islands and Madagascar. One of 

 these, E. Goudotii, Boisd., was recorded as having occurred in Zululand, 

 a specimen ticketed with that locality having been presented to the 

 British Museum by Dr. (afterwards Sir) Andrew Smith ; but no South- 

 African example has since been met with, and it is almost certain that 

 the habitat assigned to Dr. Smith's specimen was a mistaken one. 

 VOL. I. D 



