AMBLYPODIINM. 145 



Note. — As to the structural characters of the different genera relied on by their 

 authors, Bethune-Baker says : " The whole are extremely variable, even in the species 

 which are most nearly allied, and no good can be gained by 

 sub-dividing a large and well-marked genus like this, merely 

 for the sake of making it less unwieldy, when no definite and 

 good characters can be given. I have examined a consider- 

 able number of prehensores of the males, but do not find 

 that they aid much in this respect, and it seems very 

 doubtful if the eggs will be sufiiciently well known in our 

 generation to be of any use in the matter." 



de Niceville and Martin say (Jo urn. As. Soc. Bengal, 

 1895, p. 470): ", All are found in forests, they never o.rAt^M^ oi Arh^^aU ceniaums. 

 come to small streams or damp spots on roads to suck up 



the moisture, or to flowers ; they hardly ever fly unless disturbed, and as they always 

 settle with folded wings, of which the undersides present only dull brown, grey or dull 

 purple colour, little is seen of them. They rest on leaves of shrubs of moderate height, 

 and never fly for any length of time to a distance. There is therefore only one way to 

 capture them, and that is to walk through the underwood and disturb them by 

 beating the bushes and low trees, and thus cause them to fly." 



A large genus of over two hundred known species, confined to the Indo-Malayan 

 region, with the exception of one or two species found in N. Australia, the Pacific 

 Islands, China and Japan ; in placing the different species in tabular order we have 

 found very great difiiculty. Bethune-Baker, in his excellent Monograph of the Amhly- 

 podiinse, arranges the Arhopalas apparently in accordance with their underside patterns, 

 disregarding their tail structures altogether, except for specific separation, and he 

 admits that the examination of their genitalia does not give much help as to their 

 tabular arrangement. We have tried to follow him, but have found the arrangement 

 incongruous when the different species are looked at as they so stand in the cabinet. 

 Doherty,* on the other hand, divides them into five genera, on the differences of 

 structure, but the differentiating characters are very slight and somewhat variable ; we 

 have therefore thought it advisable to keep the name Arhopala for the entire genus, 

 and divide it into four sections, commencing with the true Arhopalas, tailed and with 

 the markings of the underside formed of spots ; in section II. we have put all 

 those with tails that have the markings of the underside formed of solid bands and 

 mottled variegations ; in section III. all those without tails ; and in section IV. the 

 tailed group heretofore standing as Acesina, which on their undersides have a peculiar 

 pattern of their own. 



* Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, 1889, p. 412. 

 VOL. VIIL U 



