1895.] L. de Niceville & Dr. L. Martin—: Butterflies of Sumatra. 389 

 Subfamily Elymniin-s:. 



92. Elymnias nigrescens, Butler. 



Hagen. I have found great difficulty in identifying satisfactorily 

 the common species of Elymnias of the undularis group occurring in 

 Sumatra. Mr. Distant seems to have had similar difficulty with the 

 Malay Peninsula species, vide Rhop. Malay., p. 61. E. nigrescens was des- 

 cribed by Butler from Sarawak, Borneo, both sexes are described and 

 one is figured, but it is not stated whether that figure was taken from a 

 male or a female, but probably the latter. 1 have nothing very like it 

 from Sumatra or Borneo. Distant figures two female specimens from 

 the Malay Peninsula, which were presumably compared with the types, 

 besides which Mr. Butler himself records E. nigrescens from the Malay 

 Peninsula. Our specimens agree very fairly with Distant's two figures, 

 so I have adopted the name he uses for it. The males have sometimes no 

 blue coloration on the upperside of the forewing whatever, sometimes 

 there is a more or less complete series of marginal spots, which are most 

 prominent at the apex of the wing. The hindwing is usually immaculate, 

 but sometimes there is a marginal series of whitish spots. The female 

 is very similar to the male, but the ground-colou" <ji the upperside is 

 paler and more reddish, and the blue spots are usually more prominent. 

 Sumatran specimens of both sexes are frequently smaller and duller- 

 coloured than specimens from the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. No 

 orange form of female {E. undularis, Drury, from India; E. tinctoria, 

 Moore, from Burma ; E. fraterna, Butler, from Ceylon ; E. discrepans, Dis- 

 tant, from the Malay Peninsula ; and E. protogenia, Cramer, from Java) 

 is ever found in Sumatra. This species is by far the commonest of the 

 subfamily occurring in the island, and is found in the plains all the year 

 round in ever succeeding generations. The larva feeds on the rattan 

 cane, and doubtless on various species of palms also. 



93. *Elymnias leucocyma, Godart. 



Hagen as leucocyma, Godardt [sic]. This species was described from 

 males from Java, and is evidently very closely allied to E. undularis, 

 Drury, from India. May not E. leucocyma be a synonym of E. protoge- 

 nia, Cramer ? It is doubtful if two distinct species of this group are 

 found in Java. Dr. Hagen records two species of Elymnias of this group 

 from Sumatra, but I have only seen one, which, however, is decidedly 

 variable, but cannot in my opinion be split up into separate species. 



94. Elymnias lutescens, Butler. 



Grose Smith as panthera. Hagen. Butler. Distant. Kirby, 



