22 THE LEPIDOPTERA OF CEYLON. 



concave, radial from below tlie middle ; cell extending nearly half tlie wing ; middle 

 median at one-fifth and lower at three-fifths before end of the cell ; submedian 

 recurved, basal branch long : liindwing long, apex produced and pointed, exterior 

 margin long, uneven ; cell short ; subcostal spur very oblique, one-third from the 

 base, two subcostal branches on a footstalk some distance beyond end of the cell ; 

 discocellular outwardly oblique, upper end concave, radial from the middle ; the 

 middle median at one-fifth and lower beyond one-third before end of the cell. Body 

 large, very robust, abdomen long ; head large, projected much in front ; palpi bluntly 

 projected in front; antennge slender {T. JSfessus). 



THERETRA NESSUS (Plate 86j. Fig. 1). 



Sphinx Nessus, Drury, Illust. Exot. Ins. ii. p. 46, pi. 27, fig. 1 (1773) ; Cramer, Pap. Exot. iii. pi. 226, 



fig. D. 

 Chcerocampa Nessus, Walker, Catal. Lep. Het. B. M. viii. p. 140 (1856) ; Moore, Catal. Lep. Mus. 



E. I. C. i. p. 276, pi. 11, f. 2, 2a ; Butler, Trans. Zool. Soc. 1S76, p. 655. 

 Sphinx equestris, Fabricius, Ent. Syst. iii. p. 365 (1793). 

 Theretra equestris, Hiibuer, Verz. bek. Sclimett. p. 135. 



Oclireous olive-brown : forewing tinged with olive-green along costal border ; 

 two discal contiguous narrow brown slightly irregular lines extending from apex to 

 middle of posterior margin, the inner line bent inward to the costa and the outer 

 line to the apical point, followed by a parallel contiguous outer discal line which 

 becomes indistinct at its lower end, a broader suffused fascia, and a submarginal 

 slender waved line ; before the inner line is a less distinct slender fascia which 

 becomes more prominent and sinuous at the costal end ; a blackish lunular spot at 

 end of the cell ; a black streak fringed with white at base of posterior margin : 

 hindwing black basally, olivaceous-brown externally, traversed by an irregular 

 brownish-ochreous submarginal fascia, which extends broadly from anal angle. 

 Thorax, head, and palpi bright ochreous-brown; base of abdomen and a broad 

 dorsal band dark olive-green, sides of abdomen golden-yellow ; sides of thorax and 

 head greyish-white ; legs olive-brown, white beneath ; antenna olive-brown above, 

 white beneath. 



"Lai'va feeds on Yam (Dioscorea)." {Gregory.) 



Genus PERGESA. 



Pergesa, Walker, Catal. Lep. Het. B. M. viii. p. 149 (1856). 

 Oreus (part), Hiibner. 



Forewing narrow, arched towards the end, apex falcate, exterior margin oblique 

 and convex in middle ; first subcostal emitted at two-sixths and second at one-sixth 

 before end of the cell, fifth from immediately beyond end of the cell ; discocellular 

 inwardly oblique, angled inward below the radial ; cell extending to half the wing ; 



