84 SOUTH-AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



15. (8.) Pseudonympha vigilans, sp. nov. 



Erehia Hi:ppia, Trimen, Rliop. Afr. Aust., ii. p. 199, n. 113 (1866). 



Exp. al., I in. 7 lin. — 2 in. 



$ Pale, dull, greyish-hroiDn ; in each wing a small jjost-median deep- 

 fidvous patch, — in fore-wing slightly intruding on outer part of discoidal 

 cell, in hind-iving wholly heyond it. Fore-ioing : black apical ocellus 

 large, bipupillate with bluisb-white (the upper pupil the larger), in a 

 rather ill-defined yellowish-grey ring ; fulvous patch rather elongated 

 transversely, lying between second radial and first median nervules, and 

 not extending as far as ring of ocellus, — its outline somewhat rounded. 

 Hind-iuing : fulvous patch smaller and more rounded than that of fore- 

 wing, scarcely rising above third, and not quite descending to first 

 median nervule. Under side, — Costa and apex of fore-wing and whole 

 of hind-wing grey, with hrown hatchings or short striolcc} Fore-ioing : 

 fidvous patch very much enlarged inwardly, extending uninterruptedly 

 to hase; ring of ocellus better defined, outwardly edged with brown 

 throughout. Hind- wing : costal, apical, and upper hind-marginal area 

 usually tinged with brownish, making the striolse there less apparent ; 

 sometimes a small unipupillate, black, yellowish-ringed ocellus near 

 hind-margin, between first and second median nervules, and sometimes 

 also a similar, larger, subapical ocellus between the subcostal nervules. 



$ Paler, especially the fulvous patches, of which that in fore-wing is 

 rounder and intruding more on discoidal cell. Hind-wing : rarely a 

 single indistinct small ocellus between first and second median nervules.^ 



As a rule, specimens from the Cape Peninsula (Cape Town to Simon's 

 Town) have no ocelli on the under side of the hind-wings ; the $ occasionally, 

 and the $ very rarely, presents a minute one between first and second median 

 nervules, but the subapical ocellus seems to be always wanting. It is probable 

 that this form prevails through the greater part of the Colony, as the examples 

 I met with near Grahamstown were quite like those found in the Cape Dis- 

 trict. But farther to the east and north-east it is common to find specimens 

 in which both ocelli (and especially the subapical one) are more or less well 

 marked. This character is, however, most variable ; for instance, among nine- 

 teen Basutoland examples collected by Colonel Bowker, five (including two $ ) 

 exhibit no trace of the subapical ocellus ; one has the ocellus very small ; five 

 present it small but distinct ; two ( $ and $ ) possess it of a moderate size ; 

 in five it is large ; and one (a (J ) has it very large and conspicuous. Besides 

 this tendency to the development of the subapical ocellus, the specimens in 

 question exhibit a browner under side of the hind-wing, owing to the more 

 general and pronounced striolation ; and on the upper side of the fore-wing the 



' In some Natalian and Transvaalian specimens of both sexes there are distinctly fidvous 

 striolEe mixed with the brown ones, and two imperfect series of these, forming a median and 

 a submarginal streak, are specially noticeable. This peculiarity is much developed in two 

 small 6 s taken by Colonel Bowker near the sources of St. John's River, in the mountainous 

 country on the border between Kafirland and Natal. 



- In two (5 s taken at Burghersdorp by Dr. Kannemeyer in 1SS3, this ocellus is well marked 

 on both sides of the wing, and one of them very nearly equals in size (on the under side) the 

 subapical ocellus, which is itself unusually large. In the other S this subapical ocellus is 

 quite distinct, though of small size, on the upper side. 



