334 BEITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



completely hiding them ; (3) projecting through these again and par- 

 tially clothing them, the covering scales. The androconia average about 

 *012in. x "0015in. ; they are club-shaped in general outline, the stalk 

 widening out for about one-fourth, then narrowing to a point ; the surface 

 has fine striations which often fork, like the nervures of the wings, 

 but often finish abruptly, thus keeping the striae at even distances ; 

 at the widest part there are about 20 striae, these get fewer in number 

 near the apex, where there are only about seven or eight,; the apex 

 appears to have little round bead-like processes. The clothing scales 

 average -025in. x -OOlin., with parallel striations. The ordinary scales 

 are variously shaped e.g., the transparent scales are greenish in tint, 

 average about -005in. x # 002in., are plain at the apex, sometimes 

 tending to show three small apical lobes ; the scales of the under- 

 side are 4- and 5 -pointed. The female has no covering scales ; the 

 dark scales, however, are similar to those of the. male and are 4- and 

 5-pointed ; the transparent scales are bright yellow in colour and 

 tend to the development of five apical lobes." It may be well to give 

 the descriptions of the male and female from South Europe, Africa and 

 India, as described by standard authors, e.g., Milliere describes [Icon., 

 i., p. 245) the European imagines as follows : — 



Male. — The upper wings brown-black, with the disc bright blue. The lower 

 wings adorned with a long tail, quite filiform, possess, in addition, a series of black 

 spots ; the fringes are whitish. The undersides of the four wings, of an ashy- 

 yellow, present several white transverse lines, cut by the nervures. The lower 

 wings show at the anal angle two black oval spots, accompanied with fawn-colour, 

 and circled below with very bright metallic green. Female. — A little larger than 

 the male ; the disc of a dull violet. 



Trimen says (Sth. Afr. Butt*., ii., p. 58) that the South African 

 specimens measure : $ lin. 4^-lin., ? lin.21in.-lin. 5^-lin., and des- 

 cribes them as follows : — 



Male. — Silky violet-blue, with a fuscous hind-marginal edging. Hindwing: two 

 well-marked black spots, outwardly whitish-edged, near anal angle, of which the larger 

 is above the first median nervule. Underside : pale ochreous-grey, with undulated 

 transverse white striee, common to both wings ; beyond middle, a fascia composed of 

 a middle broad streak with a parallel line at equal distances on either side, variable 

 in regularity, angulated in hindwing below first median, a white stripe, narrow in 

 forewing, but wider and conspicuous in hindwing, excepting near inner margin 

 touching the greater portion of outer line of fascia, followed by a lunulas stria, and 

 a hind-marginal edging. Forewing : a short triple fascia, similar to the longer one 

 described, across cell, and another like it at extremity of cell. Hindwing: base 

 lightly irrorated with blackish, two to four transverse stria? in basal portion, in 

 places more or less confluent ; mixed up with these a triple-streak closing cell, two 

 black spots exteriorly edged with bluish or greenish-silvery, and interiorly bordered 

 by an orange lunule (indistinct in lower spot). Female.— Dull brownish, vividly 

 shot with shining blue from base and over disc. Hindwing: sometimes almost 

 devoid of blue, beyond middle a transverse row of broad, more or less conspicuous, 

 white lunules ; a row oE thinner hmiiles near margin combine with a hind-marginal 

 line to form bluish-white rings, of which the two next anal angle are complete, 

 enclosing the two black spots. Underside : as in male, but marking more con- 

 spicuous, especially the white stripe in forewing. Cilia in both sexes greyish at 

 origin, white on outer edge. 



Niceville gives (Butts. India, iii., pp. 201-5) a modification of 

 Distant's description of the Malay race, as applicable to the Indian 

 specimens as follows: — 



Male.— Uppersidc both wings pale violaceous [thickly overlaid with long hair- 

 like scales, giving the wings a frosted appearance]. Forewing with the costal 

 margin narrowly, and the outer margin more broadly, pale fuscous. Hindwingwith 



