1887.] LITTLE-KNOWN BUTTERFLIES FROM INDIA. 4.53 



instead of ochreous. The markings of the underside of this sex, 

 too, seem to be fairly constant in a number of specimens. 



My recent experiments proving by breeding from tlie egg that 

 M. leda and M. ismene are but seasonal forms of one species, and 

 the acquisition of both forms of M. bethami, has thrown a flood of 

 light into my mind regardina; the Butterflies of this difficult genus. 

 It mav now, I think, be accepted as au axiom that in all tropical 

 and subtropical countries in which the year is divided into two well- 

 marked seasons, a dry and a wet, the 3Ielanites that occur there 

 will also have two well-marked forms, — a rains form, with slightly 

 falcated fore wing, short tail to hind wing, and prominent ocelli on 

 both wings on tlie underside; and a dry-season form, which has the 

 fore wing highly falcate, a long tail to hind wing, and obsolete ocelli 

 below. In the ' Lepidoptera of Ceylon,' in addition to M. leda 

 and M. ismene (one species), Mr. Moore records only M. tainbra ; 

 but in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, is a specimen marked by Mr. 

 Moore himself " M. suyudana," which certainly differs from the 

 form Mr. Moore has figured and described as M. tambra. I possess 

 in all six specimens of this group from Ceylon, and though they 

 present but slight variation in the size of the ocelH (it should be 

 remembered that Ceylon has a very equable chmate throughout the 

 year), there is a well-marked difference in outline, what I should 

 call M. tambra being the rains form, and M. suyudana the dry- 

 season form. In Sikkim we have, besides M. leda and M, isinene, 

 M. zitenius, of which Herbst has figured the dry-season form and 

 Mr. Distant^ the rains form ; and M. aswa, Moore, the strongly 

 occllated rains form, and M. bela, Moore, and M. duryodana (tiie 

 two latter I now believe to be but varieties of one form), the dry- 

 season form of a third species. 



An intimate knowledge of the species of Melanitis occurring in 

 other parts of the Old World, to be obtained only by living amongst 

 them and carefully noting their different forms and the seasons when 

 they occur, and by breeding them from the egg, would, I feel sure, 

 reveal the fact of the seasonal dimorphism which occurs in all the 

 species of the genus, and I trust that notice being now drawn to the 

 subject, collectors and entomologists will devote attention to it. 



To return to M. bethami, I have described the rains form from a 

 pair taken on the 8th August, and the dry-season form from five 

 pairs taken between the 15th and 27th October at Pachmarhi, by 

 Mr. J. A. Betham, after whom I have much pleasure in naming the 

 species. 



CyLLOGENKS JANETS, U. Sp. 



Hab. Bhutan. 



Expanse. S 3"5, $ 3'55 inches. 



Male. Upperside : both wings deep dull brown, almost black. 

 Fore wing with a broad rich ochreous curved subapical band, 

 attenuated towards the anal angle, which it hardly reaches, the rich 



^ Rbopalocera Malayuua, p. 41i!. ii. 3, pi. xxx\iii. fig. 2,(5 (1886). 



