Is^YMPHALIX.^. 317 



inferiorly, and four others at its extremity round base of j)edicel ; back 

 of thorax globosely prominent, not ridged. 



Gharaxes shares with the South- American genera Aganisthos, Agrias, 

 and Prepona the distinction of being the most massively-formed as well as 

 the swiftest of known Nymphalince. There seems structurally to be little 

 or no difference warranting the separation of either Agrias or Prepona 

 from Charaxcs, but they respectively present characteristic pattern and 

 coloration, and their males usually have a whorl or tuft of hairs on the 

 submedian nervure of the hind-wings. Aganisthos and also 3fegistanis 

 (another South- American group, very like Charaxes in pattern and out- 

 line) are separable at once by the very short fourth subcostal nervule of 

 the fore- wings. The great length and downward subterminal flexure of 

 this nervule are apparently peculiar to Charaxes, Agrias, and Pre2Jona. 



The Ethiopian Region is the metropolis of this large and striking 

 genus, but it is fairly represented both in the Oriental and Australian 

 Regions, and single species are recorded from the Fijian and New Cale- 

 donian Islands, in addition to the well-known Mediterranean C. Jasius, 

 Linn., which is, however, quite African in character. Out of about 

 eighty recorded species, fifty are proper to the Ethiopian Region, eight 

 of them being peculiar to Madagascar. South Africa has now yielded 

 fifteen species, of which five — C. Pelias (Cram,), Ethalion (Boisd.), Phceus, 

 Hewits., Xiphares (Cram.), and Citharon, Feld., seem to be endemic. 



In addition to their exceptional strength of structure, the species of 

 Charaxes are rendered conspicuous by their size, and by the great beauty 

 of their colouring and markings. Except C. Jahhisa (Trim.), Zoolina 

 (Westw.), and Neanthcs (Hewits.), all the South-African species are 

 large, C. Xiijhares (Cram.) and Castor (Cram.) even attaining an expanse 

 of wings of nearly 4-| inches, and sevei'al others expanding 3|- inches. 

 In the majority, the upper side has the ground-colour blackish, with 

 white, ochre-yellow, fulvous, or blue stripes and spots, while the under 

 side is often most intricately streaked and marbled with pearly and 

 olive-greys, or with many white-bordered shining-black spots on a 

 ferruginous ground, and margined with violet or greenish and yellowish 

 lunules. In C. Varanes (Cram.) and Neanthes (Hewits.), the under-side 

 colouring is beautifully imitative of faded leaves ; and in Jahlusa 

 (Trim.), its exquisite grey and silver resembles the shining white bark 

 of a tree frequented by the butterfly. In some sections of the genus 

 (including that of Xiphares and its allies) the sexes differ very con- 

 siderably, not only in size, but in the pattern and colouring of the upper 

 side, so that in several cases they, have been described as distinct species. 



Nearly all the known species are strictly sylvan, but C. Pelias 

 (Cram.) frequents more open mountainous country, settling, however, 

 on the taller shrubs or small trees growing in such tracts.^ I am not 



1 In these habits C. Pelias resembles its near congener C. Jasius, which haunts the 

 Arbutus (the food-plant of its larva) on the hills and mountain- sides of the countries border- 

 ing the Mediterranean. 



