KYMPHALIN^E. (Group MELITJEISA.) 3 



MELLICTA BALBITA (Plate 3S0, fig. 2, Sa, ^ ; 2b, c, ? ). 



Melitwa Bulbita, Moore, Proo. Zool. Soc. Loud. 1874, p. 268, pi. 43, fig. 5, J. de Xiceville, Butt, 

 of India, etc., ii. p. 2G, pi. 18, fig. 71, S ? (1886). 



TjiAOO.— Male. Up])evside bright fulvous ; markings prominent; cilia fulvescent- 

 wliite, alternated with black. Both wings with black veins; the basal area and 

 posterior margins thickly irrorated with black scales, the bases also clothed with 

 fulvous hairs; a broad exterior marginal black baud mediallj- traversed bj a row of 

 prominent fulvous dentate lunules. ForeiriDij also with the costal edge black; a 

 black slender constricted mark across middle of the cell, a broad streak at its end, 

 and a short longitudinally dentate streak below the cell ; a transverse iuner-discal 

 angular row of spots, the upper three longest and more or less confluent ; followed 

 by an outer-discal row of similar spots. Ei.ndiflng also with a less-defined black 

 patch within the cell, two ioner-discal transverse black imperfect sinuous lines, aud 

 a less-defiued outer-discal line. Underside paler fulvous ; cilia pale yellow. 

 Forewing with the veins fulvous: costa and exterior margin pale yellow ; markings 

 as above but much less defined. Hindaiuij with black veins ; a transverse 

 subbasal black-edged pale yellow sinuous band, a small round spot in the cell, 

 a broad medial-discal curved baud, and a subniarginal continuous row of broad 

 lunules, all black-edged ; the discal band beit:g traversed by a slightly-apparent 

 blackish-speckled irregular line, the interspaces between the bauds being duller 

 yellow and blotched with bright fulvous ; the extreme outer margin and cilia being 

 also yellow. 



Female. Upperside dusky fulvous ; the basal areas more broadly aud denser 

 black scaled ; markings similar to male, but broader and transversely confluent ; 

 the medial-discal interspace of the forewing somewhat yellow, and the marginal 

 deutiite lunules more or less yellow. Underside as in the male, except that the 

 exterior marginal lunules on the forewing, and on the hindwiug, the subbasal, discal, 

 and marginal band, as well as the cell-spot, is glossy pale yellow or white; and 

 the interspacing fulvous blotches prominent and partly black-edged. Bod// above 

 blackish, thorax clothed with fulvous hairs ; palpi pale fulvous-yellow, tip blackish ; 

 legs fulvous, femora beneath pale yellow ; antennae above black, beneath fulvous 

 annulated with white, tip fulvous. 



Expanse, S In), ^ Ij-q to l^, inches. 



Habitat. — Kashmir ; Chumba. 



Distribution. — The type specimeus were taken by the late Capt. E. Bayue 

 Eeed, at Suuamurg, N.E. Kashmir, Mr. L. de Niceville obtained it on the Saucli 

 Pass, Chumba, at the end of May, and at Chunpur, and on the IMurbnl Pass, 

 Kashmir, in the middle of June" (Butt. Ind. ii. 20). Major H. B. Hellard found it 



B 2 



