186 L. de Niceville — List of the Butterflies of Ceylon. [No. 3, 



Distant, Dr. Moore gives from the Malay Peninsula ; and there are 

 doubtless other named forms of M. held which have been described 

 from more distant localities. As M. ismene, Cramer, is admitted 

 to have a wide range, it is more than probable, we think, tliat M. bela is 

 also widely spread. 



Subfamily Eltmniinj;. 



27. Elymnias fraterna, Butler. 



This is the Ceylonese form of the continental Indian E. undularis, 

 Drury, the females of the two species being indistinguishable. It is 

 common in Ceylon in the low country, and is found usually in jungle 

 in the neighbourhood of water. The males are fond of settling on the 

 stems of Caladium, which make them somewhat conspicuous in spite 

 of their dull-coloured under- surface. The female is totally unlike 

 the male, and bears a strong superficial resemblance to Danais plexippus, 

 Linnaeus, which it doubtless mimics. The larva is well known and 

 feeds on Palmaceds, 



28. Elymnias (Melynias) singhala, Moore. 



Moore as Melynias singala in Lep. Ind. It is somewhat close to, 

 though quite distinct from, E. lutescens^ Butler, from the Malay Penin- 

 sula, Sumatra and Borneo, which is probably a synonym of E. panthera, 

 Fabricius, though the latter is kept by Moore as a distinct species from 

 Java. Moore places panthera in the genus Elymnias and singhala in the 

 genus Melynias. Mr. P. M. Mackwood informs us that up to quite 

 recently the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens near Kandy was the only 

 locality for E. singhala, and it is abundant there, but it is apparently 

 gradually extending its range. It appears to be quite constant, and 

 is confined to Ceylon. Moore suggests that it mimics Euplosa sinhala, 

 Moore. The transformations are unknown, but Mackwood says that the 

 larva feeds on the leaves of a species of palm tree. 



Subfamily Amathushnj;. 



29. DiscoPHORA LEPiDA, Moore. 



Restricted to South India and Ceylon, and apparently always rare. 

 In South India it is strongly seasonally dimorphic. In Ceylon it is found 

 in the low country jungles on the east and west of the island ; we have 

 specimens from Awissawella and the forests near Galle; Mackwood 

 obtained a single specimen in Ambegamoa, The transformations have 

 been described, and, as usual in the genus, the larva feeds on bamboo. 



