io8 SOUTH-AFEICAI^ BUTTEEFLIES. 



of ground-colour beyond an indistinct line about middle, and three 

 parallel, hind-marginal, dark lines, of which the outermost is on the 

 edge next to cilia. Fore-wing : a small ocellus between radials ; a 

 large one on second and first median nervules, its ring extending 

 above and below those nervules respectively. Hind-wing : two good- 

 sized ocelli between third and first median nervules ; a small one above 

 third median nervule ; occasionally a minute indistinct ocellus near 

 anal angle. Under side. — Pale gregish-ochreous, closely hatched and 

 irrorated with hroivn ; two reddish-brown transverse lines, one before, 

 the other beyond middle ; the outer line immediately succeeded by a 

 conspicuous imlc-yelloiu stripe, externally ill-defined ; hind-marginal 

 streaks well-marked ; all the ocelli in well-marked rufus-brown rings 

 encircling the yellow- ochreous rings. Fore-wing : the two ocelli 

 answer to those on upper side. Hind-wing : seven ocelli in sub- 

 marginal row, of which the fourth and fifth (between third and first 

 median nervules) are considerably larger than the rest, the three above 

 them small (about equal in size), and the seventh (at anal angle) much 

 the smallest, but clearly defined. 



Both sexes, but especially the ^, present a variation which has all 

 the ocelli on the under side of the wings indistinctly marked, and much 

 smaller than usual, or all but obsolete, — only the white pupil of the 

 large fore-wing ocellus being conspicuous ; the yellow stripe beyond 

 middle deeper in tint ; and the transverse line before middle immedi- 

 ately preceded by some yellow clouding. 



The close brown lines or hatchings and conspicuous pale-yellow 

 stripe of the under side readily distinguish this butterfly from M. Safitza, 

 Hewits., apart from its much paler colouring and three or four distinct 

 hind-wing ocelli on the upper side. Its other allies are M. Ilineus, 

 Linn., and 31. Ostrea, Westw. (= Otrca, Hiibn. nee Cram.); but it 

 differs from the former by the much broader stripe of the under side, 

 and from both by tke number (three) and distinctness of the ocelli on the 

 upper side of the hind- wings. The two species just named are natives 

 of China and North India respectively. 



I think it very probable that 31. Vidorina, Westw. (App. to Gates' 

 3Iatabelekmd, p. 350, n. 58, 1881), from the Zambesi (near Victoria Falls), 

 is identical with M. perspicua ; but the diagnosis given is not sufficiently 

 detailed to admit of certainty on this point. If not identical, it must be a 

 very close ally.^ 



I discovered this 3Iycalesis at Port Natal, taking a single example ( $ ), 

 on 3d August 1865, flitting about long grass in some rough ground at the 

 base of the slope near D'Urban, where the Botanic Garden is situated. Gn 



^ I have received from Mr. F. C. Selous two cJ s of a Mycalesis taken on the Shashani 

 River, Makalaka Country, which only differ from Perspicua in being (i) greyer on upper 

 side, with (2) ocelli in duller rings and only two in ^hind-wing ; and on under side (3) a 

 greyer ground-colour without any hatching or irroration, (4) a much narrower common pale- 

 yellow streak, — in one of the examples linear, and (5) the ocelli all encircled with neatly 

 defined pale-yellowish linear wings, — especially perfect in fore- wing. This may possibly be 

 the Victorina of Westwood. 



