1899.] L. de WiceviWe— List of the Butterflies of Ceylon. 183 



nervure of the forewinj? on its underside, the other partly below but 

 more largely above the subcostal nervure of the hindwing on its upper- 

 side. In M. perseus and M. polydecta these depressions are black, and 

 are due to very closely imbricated scales with evenly rounded ends. 

 That these spoon-shaped structures are depressions of the wing-surface 

 is evident from the fact that all the scales aie not in focus at the same 

 time. In some specimens of Al. perseus and M. polydecta these depres- 

 sions are darkly iridescent, and under the microscope are seen to be 

 composed not only of black scales, but also many of a deep steel, and 

 others again of a lighter blue colour, changing their depth of colouring 

 according to the direction of the light thrown on them. The scales 

 under 950 diameters shew very minute striation, but in all cases the 

 ends are evenly rounded. These rounded scales resist the action of 

 solvents such as eau dejuvalle much more strenuously than the scales 

 on other parts of the wing. There is no true glandular structure 

 whatever ; but it is noteworthy that only the ends of the yellow 

 " hairs " rest in the oval depressions. There is nothing in the structure 

 of these appendages to indicate their function, nor do I think that they 

 are used for stridulating purposes, as in that case I should have expected 

 to find that the scales and hair-like processes would be toothed in some 

 way so as to produce sounds, but this is not the case." 



18. Mycalesis (Nissanga) patnia, Moore. 



Peculiar to Ceylon ; but a closely-allied species, M. junofiia, Butler, 

 occurs in South India. It is in Ceylon a widely distributed and common 

 insect, ascending to considerable elevations, being particularly common 

 about Kandy. It is strongly seasonally dimorphic ; the rains form being 

 very dark, especially on the under surface. It has never been bred. 



19. Lethe (KanipTia) dtnsate, Hewitson. 



Moore as H. sihala, Moore, and H. dynsate, of the former he described 

 both sexes in the Lep. Cey., of the latter the female only, but united 

 them under one species in Lep. Ind. It is not only rare but is one of 

 the most interesting of Ceylonese butterflies, and is confined to the 

 island. The sexual patch of hairs on the forewing of the male on the 

 upperside is unique, the subgenus Eanipha being confined to a single 

 species. The white subapical band on the forewing of the female is 

 variable in width, specimens from the hills having it narrower than 

 specimens from the low country. It is found in the South-West 

 portion of Ceylon at Awisawella and Udugama in the low country 

 in July, and at Haputale, 5,000 feet, and Ohiya, 6,000 feet, in the 

 hill country. It has also been taken in the Maskeliya district by 



