72 J. N. ELIOT 



h. in soma the nudum of the antennal club is dark reddish brown and barely 

 contrasts with the scaled portion of the club, whereas in adipala the tip of the nudum 

 is of a contrasting buff to light reddish brown shade. 



The two species have similar male genitalia and are clearly closely related ; it 

 would not be surprising if hybridization occasionally occurred. N. soma is a sub- 

 montane species of Sino-Himalayan origin occurring most commonly at about 

 3000-4000 ft., while N. nata is of S.E. Asian origin and seems to prefer somewhat 

 lower levels. 



Examples from Sikkim average slightly wider markings than examples from 

 Assam, and some dry season forms from the former area can barely be separated 

 from wet season forms from the Western Himalayas except by a slightly richer, 

 more reddish under surface ground colour. 



Eastern Himalayas, Assam. 



N. soma shania Evans stat. n. 



Neptis yerburyi shania Evans, 1924 : 78. N. Burma. <$ type BMNH. Dry season form. 

 Neptis yerburyi shania Evans ; Evans, 1913 : 167. 



Does not differ from the preceding subspecies except that the seasonal forms are 

 less well marked, and the name is of doubtful validity. 

 Burma, Siam, S. Yunnan. 



N. soma pendleburyi Corbet stat. n. 



Neptis yerburii pendleburyi Corbet, 1937 : IQI - 6* Malay Peninsula. Type BMNH. 



Malaya. 



N. soma palnica ssp. n. 



(PI. 1, fig. 1, Text-fig. 34) 



In both sexes on the upper surface the pale creamy white markings are narrower in the wet 

 season form than in any other subspecies ; the cell streak and streak beyond cell are separated 

 by a particularly heavy black discocellular bar ; the fore wing postdiscal band consists of 

 widely separated small spots ; on the hind wing the discal band does not enter the base of 

 space 3 and in the wet season form the postdiscal band is broken up into rounded, sullied 

 spots. On the under surface the ground colour is deep sienna-brown (paler and more ochreous 

 in the dry season form). The hind wing marginal fascia is rather inconspicuous and the sub- 

 marginal fascia consists of detached lunules. The tip of the nudum of the antennal club is 

 reddish brown, of the same shade as N. nata hampsoni Moore, and contrasts better with the 

 scaled portion of the club than does any other subspecies except the dry season form of ssp. 

 butleri. The male clasp in the two known males has the terminal projection rather broad and 

 the scythe-shaped hook short and stout, most nearly resembling N. mahendra mahendra 

 Moore. Fore wing length 30-33 mm. in the male and 31-34 mm. in the female. The 

 subspecies is widely separated from any other, and perhaps has some claim to species status. 



Holotype <$. S. India : Palni Hills, Kodi, 13. ix. 1909 (ex W. H. Evans coll.), 

 wet season form. 



