232 SOUTH- AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



irrorated with blue as far as middle ; in discoidal cell the irrorations 

 form three transverse striae, separated from each other by streaks of 

 the black ground-colour ; a waved, irregular, at third median nervule 

 sometimes interrupted, blue stripe crosses wing beyond middle, from 

 costa to inner margin ; beyond it commences a transverse row of six 

 spots parallel to hind-margin, the first two spots being conspicuously 

 hluisli-iohite and of small size, the remainder red (the first of which 

 is small, the other three large, and excavate internally, where each is 

 marked by a deep-black spot) ; beyond this row is another of blue sub- 

 lunulate spots ; a line of thin blue lunules close to hind-marginal edge ; 

 fringe black, white-spotted in indentations. Hind-wing : basal area 

 dusted with blue ; no strias in discoidal cell ; beyond middle, the blue 

 and red stripes of fore-wing are continued across this wing to inner 

 margin before anal angle, the hlue stripe becoming indistinct in its 

 lower portion, the red consisting of seven conspicuous, internally 

 black-dotted spots ; row of lunulate spots and of hind-marginal lunules 

 as in fore-iving, but larger ; fringe white-marked in indentations. 

 Under side. — GIosstj dark greenish-bronze, tvitJi transverse hlachish strice. 

 Fore-wing : five sinuate, black transverse striae in discoidal cell ; a 

 dull-blackish, ill-defined fascia just beyond cell, quite across wing ; 

 followed by another, sharply-defined outivardly, and marking the inner 

 edge of the blue transverse stripe on U2)2Jer side ; an irregular trans- 

 verse row of small black rings (the third from costa conspicuously filled 

 with ivhite) ; inner margin glossed with purplish ; a dull-reddish stain 

 near anal angle ; two rows of indistinct blackish lunules along hind- 

 margin. Hind-wing : much varied with indistinct blackish fascise in 

 basal half; a blackish streak, enclosing a greenish line, at extremity of 

 discoidal cell ; a much-dentated, irregular, black line continues the well- 

 defined one of fore-iving to inner margin beyond middle ; also a row 

 of five or six little black rings, continuous of that oi fore-wing, as far as 

 first median nervule ; two rows of blackish lunules along hind-margin, 

 less distinct than in fore-wing, but ending in a black mark at anal angle. 



Larva. — " Dark velvety-brown, with transverse rows of light- 

 brown tubercles, which are centred with rather long, branched spines. 

 Head light reddish-brown, with a black spot on each cheek, and one 

 above the mouth, and crowned with two long branched spines." — 

 H. G. Harford, MSS. description of Natalian specimen. 



This is the Southern representative of the West- African P. Ames- 

 tris (Drury), and is separable from that species by (i) its conspicuous 

 basal blue irroration, (2) the constancy and large development of the 

 blue discal band, (3) the less irregular black and red discal row of 

 spots, (4) the absence of red strige in discoidal cell of fore-wings, and 

 (5) the uniform dark bronzy-green tint of the under side, without any 

 representation of the red spots of the upper side except near anal 

 angle of fore-wing. P. Sesamus is also larger than P. Amestris. It 

 varies somewhat in the tint of its blue colouring, some individuals 



