1902.] BUTTERFLIES OF THE FAMILY LYO^NID^. 139 



from some of the Pacific Islands, such as New Britain and the 

 Solomon group. The dominant section of the group is the genus 

 Arhopcda, which alone contains over two hundred species and 

 varieties. Until the year 1890 these had generally been described 

 undei- the genus Amblypodia, in spite of the fact that they are 

 structurally quite distinct, and that Boisduval had created the 

 genus Arhopala, and had been followed in its use by the brothers 

 Felder in their important work in the ' Novara-Reise.' Bois- 

 duval, however, omitted to diagnose his genus ; and it has only 

 been since de Niceville's third volume of the ' Butterflies of India ' 

 was published that the name has been generally used, but now 

 most students of the Lycfenidpe adopt it. Mr. Moore has 

 attempted to split it up into six different genera, viz., Narathura, 

 Nilasera, Panchala^ Satadra, Darasana, and Acesina; but none 

 of the characters he gives are constant, and though the markings 

 of Acesina are peculiar, yet the whole pattern follows precisely 

 that obtaining in Arhopala, and structin-ally they are identical ; 

 so that under these circumstances I see no object in retaining 

 that genus as distinct. The other genera also I am obliged to 

 disregard, none of them having so good a locus standi as Acesina. 

 The genus Arhopala forms one large homogeneous whole, and, 

 with the exception of one or two extreme forms, the merest tyro 

 would at once recognize them. I cannot therefore see what object 

 is gained by endeavoiu-ing to split them up into several genera 

 merely because of the large size of the genus. I retain Mr. Moore's 

 genus Mahathala, which is very well marked ; but, with all respect 

 to that veteran observer, I cannot see my way to accepting the 

 other six. 



I divide the whole group into six genera, viz., Amhlypodia 

 Horsf., Traota Moore, St(,rendra Moore, Thaduka Moore, Maha- 

 thala Moore, and Arhopala Boisduval. These Butterflies are very 

 sluggish in their habits, seldom flying unless disturbed, and then 

 only for a short distance, settling again as soon as possible on the 

 underside of the leaves, with which they assimilate well. They 

 prefer the thick forests, and but little is known of then* life- 

 histories, though some of the eggs have been described by Doherty 

 and one or two other observers. Distant remarked on the shade 

 of blue varying considerably " inter se " at times ; and this I have 

 found to be the case, though I am unable to offer any real expla- 

 nation. I believe it will be fovmd to be owing to some chemical 

 change, for it happens with apparently quite fresh specimens. 

 The colours of the whole group are aniline : in the majority of 

 the species they could not be made up, I believe, from the colours 

 of the spectrum, and it is therefore possible that they may be 

 more liable to change than otherwise. 



In a dominant genus such as this is, we might look for certain 

 forms to be highly specialized in some way or other ; and we find 

 that this is so, for we have a small number of species of that 

 brilliant metallic kistrous green colour that is so prominent a 

 feature in the Chinese and Japanese sections of the Thecliiue. 



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