I 



1887.] LITTLE-KlNOWN BUTTERFLIES FROM INDIA. 449 



similarly formed), and in the outer discal violet line having a dark 

 brown fascia placed against it (in L. nicetas this fascia is much 

 more deeply scalloped and of a rich ochreous colour). 



I have described L. niceiella from a laro;e series of males and a 

 single female collected in Sikkim by Mr. Otto MoUer. In Sikklm, 

 judging from the number of specimens before me of each species, 

 L. nice(ella\s much the commoner of the two. 



Lethe tamuna, n. sp. (Plate XXXIX. fig, 6,2 ■) 



Hub. Little Nicobar. 



Expanse. $ 2v inches. 



Female. Upperside : both wings dull dark fulvous. Fore wing 

 with the apical half fuscous, bearing two pure white spots below the 

 costa, placed midway between the apex and the median ochreous 

 band, the upper of the two spots much the smaller, and divided into 

 two portions by the fourth subcostal nervule ; below tliese spots in 

 the upper discoidal interspace is an obscure oval black spot ; near 

 the margin are four bright ochreous lunulas placed between the 

 veins from the lower discoidal nervule to the inner angle, beyond 

 these lunnles in each interspace is a fine ochreous line ; across the 

 disk of the wing, from the middle of the costa to near the inner 

 angle, is a broad bright ochreous band, its inner edge nearly sti'aight 

 and even, its outer edge produced into points between the veins, the 

 lower portion of the band composed of two spots (the lower one 

 very small) in the submedian interspace. Hindwing with the ocelli 

 of the underside more or less showing through by transparency ; a 

 series of bright ochreous lunules with inner dark borders placed 

 near the outer margin between the veins, with a darker ochreous 

 line beyond. Underside : both wi?igs dull brown. Fore wing 

 with a whitish subbasal line crossing the middle of the discoidal cell 

 from the subcostal to the submedian nervure ; the broad discal band 

 as above, but with its edges more even and wider at its lower end ; 

 beyond it are four ill-shaped ocelli with black pupils dotted with 

 white, a pale violet ring, then a browner ring and an outer pale 

 violet ring ; the margin marked much as above. Hind wing with a 

 subbasal line in continuation of that on the fore wing, not reaching 

 the abdominal margin ; a discal series of ocelli placed on a pale 

 violet band, which more or less follows their outline ; the upper 

 ocellus very large, its centre deep black dotted with white, then a 

 broad rich ochreous ring, outwardly defined with a fuscous ring ; 

 the next largest ocellus is in the first median interspace, with two 

 small, equal-sized ocelli in the interspaces above and below it, and 

 two very small and indistinct ocelli diAuded by the discoidal nervule; 

 the bright ochreous lunules on the margin of the upperside white, 

 almost silvery, on the underside. 



Lethe tamuna is a local form of the widely-distributed L. europa, 

 Fabricius, which occurs in the Andamans (but is replaced apj)a- 

 rently in the Nicobars by the specits under notice), almost through- 

 out India (though not in Ceylon), the Malay |)eninsula and islands, 

 and has been recoidcd from China. L. tamuna 2 "'f^y b^ ^^ once 



