NYMPHALINJE. (Group LIMENITINA.) 177 



TACOR^A ASURA. 



Drij-season hrood (Plate 257, fig. 1, la, b, ^J ? ). 



Athyma Asura, Moore, Catal. Lep. Mus. E. I. Company, i. p. 171, pi. 5a, fig. 1, S (1857) ; id. Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 17. de Niceville, Butt, of India, etc., ii. p. 168 (1886). 



Imago. — Male and female. Upperside dark fuliginous-black ; cilia alternated 

 with white ; markings creamy-white. Foreioinq with a narrow white claviform 

 cell streak and a triangular spot beyond its end ; a transverse discal excurved series 

 of white spots, the three anterior elongated and narrow, the uppermost more or less 

 obsolescent, the fourth smallest, the fifth larger and rounded, sixth larger still and 

 oval, the seventh broad, quadrate and indented at the sides, the eighth narrow ; a 

 subapical series of three small lunate spots, followed by a submarginal row of narrow 

 excurved lunulas with difFused black inner edges, and then a marginal slightly- 

 defined black pale-bordered lunular line ; a slightly-defined black ringlet-mark below 

 the cell. Hindwing with a broad transverse discal white band and an outer narrower 

 macular band, the latter composed of almost round spots in the male, and of some- 

 what scutiform spots in the female, each having a black central spot ; beyond is a 

 marginal slightly-defined pale-bordered black lunular line. Underside bright 

 ochreous-red, white markings as above, but more prominent. Forevnng also with 

 the posterior border pale fuliginous, a black ringlet-mark with dull red centre and 

 pale border below the cell ; a submarginal row of black-centred lilacine-white spots, 

 and a marginal partially-duplex row of narrow white lunules. Hindiving also with 

 a narrow subbasal white band extending from base of costal vein to the apex ; the 

 black spotted band lilacine-white, followed by an inner marginal row of somewhat 

 scutate lunules, and an outer marginal row of narrow lunules ; abdominal margin 

 bluish-grey. Body above black ; thorax glossed with metallic golden-green ; a 

 bluish-white band across base of abdomen ; palpi above black, below whitish edged 

 with black ; body beneath and legs bluish-grey ; antennae black, tip beneath reddish. 



Expanse, S 2^^ to 2^q, ? 3 to Sj^o inches. 



Wef -season hrood (Plate 257, fig. 1, c, d, e, J* 9). 



Male and female. Somewhat larger than the dry-season brood, Upperside 

 ground colour blacker ; markings similar, but of a darker creamy-white. Forewing 

 with the cell streak slender, the spot beyond smaller, its intervening space being 

 defined by a slightly apparent black-edged transverse recurved pale ochreous-red 

 streak, a similar discocellular streak of a dusky red colour also present beyond the 

 spot, both being most apparent in the female ; the upper discal series of spots 

 narrower and the lower smaller ; the submarginal lunules more slender. Hindiving 

 with the inner band and the outei- black-spotted band both naiTOwer than in dry- 

 VOL. in. May 18th, 1898. a a 



