:j^ymphalin.^. 271 



being larger and whiter than the rest ; between the latter row and 

 white baud is a series of rather large, almost contiguous quadrate 

 marks, darker than ground-colour, and forming a stripe parallel to 

 hind-margin ; from three to seven pure-white dots in discoidal cell, 

 and one or two just beyond extremity of cell. Hind-wing : a broad 

 white stripe, continuous of the inner-marginal, semicircular mark on 

 fore-iving, divided into seven by crossing nervules, occupies central 

 portion from costa to inner margin, being curved, parallel to hind- 

 margin ; series of dark spots broader than in fore-wing ; three thin, 

 lunular, pale streaks bordering hind-margin as in fore-ioing. Cilia 

 of both wings conspicuously marked with white between denticula- 

 tions. Under side. — Very similar, ground-colour paler. Fore-wing : 

 costa white close to base ; a short, white, longitudinal streak from base 

 in discoidal cell, bordering subcostal nervure ; five or six white dots 

 in cell, and a transverse row of three from costa, a little beyond cell ; 

 white band and marking as on upper side ; three rows parallel to hind- 

 margin conspicuously white, and forming almost contimious streaks ; 

 the three first spots of the innermost row larger than on ripper side, 

 longitudinally triangulate. Hincl-iving : three white bands in basal 

 portion — a broad one edging costa to a little before middle, a narrow 

 one, parallel to the first, commencing on inner margin, and a broad 

 one, also parallel and from inner margin, which is hroJcen into three 

 spots towards costa ; central band as on upper side ; lunulate streaks 

 bordering hind-margin conspicuously white. Cilia as on upper side. 



A very close ally of N. Agatha is N. Nysiades, Hewits. {Exot. £idt., iv. 

 pi. 25, IF. 3, 4), from Old Calabar; but it difiers in having the lower portion of 

 the band of the fore-wings much narrowed and divided into two entirely sepa- 

 rate spots ; it has, moreover, in discoidal cell of fore-wing on upper side only a 

 white dot and oblique line ; and on under side, besides the longitudinal streak 

 from base, only tAVo oblique streaks. 



Neptis KiMdeli, Boisd., from Madagascar, is also nearly related to N. 

 Agatha, but at once recognised by its very broad white bands (scarcely 

 indented externally by black nervules) across hind-wings and lower discal area 

 of fore-wings. 



A Neptis taken by Colonel Bowker at Quilimane, in the year 1878, is to 

 some extent intermediate between Agatha and KiMdeli, having the bands in 

 arrangement like those of the former, but markedly broader, and externally not 

 more indented by black nervules than those of the latter. 



This strikingly-marked Neptis frequents wooded places ; it flies rather 

 slowly, and often settles on the leaves of low trees. I once took a specimen 

 on the flowers of Laidana. It was far from numerous on the coast of Xatal 

 during the summer of 1867, and does not appear ever to be abundant there. 



Localities of Nepiis Agatha. 



I. South Africa. 

 E. Natal. 



a. Coast Districts. — D'Urban. Verulam. Tongaati River. More- 

 wood's Bay (/. H. Boicker). " Lower Umkomazi," — J. H. 

 Bowker. 

 Ki Transvaal. — Lydenburg District (T. Ayres). 



