CYANIEIS. 



319 



It occurs sparingly throughout the Himalayas up to an elevation of 8000 

 feet, from March to May, and from August to December. 

 Distribution. Japan, Western China, and N. India. 



Cyaniris dilectus. (Plate XXXI. fig. 10, s .) 



Pohjornmatus dilectus, JNfoore, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1879, p. 139. 

 Cyaniris dilectus, de Nicevillc, Joura. Asiat. Soc. Beng. lii. pt. i. p. G8, pi. i. fig. 5, c? 

 (1883) ; Butt. Ind. iii. p. lOr (1890). 



" Male. Upperside : both wings pale blue, with a very fine black anteciliary line, which towards 

 the apex of the fore wing in some specimens becomes slightly diffused inwardly. Fore wing 

 with a patch of irrorated white scales on the disc below the cell and between the median 

 nervules, very prominent in some specimens, obsolete in others (as in the Sikkim specimen 

 figured). Hind wing with a similar patch, but placed between the second median nervule 

 and the costal nervure, and almost reaching the apex. Underside : both wings as in C. albo- 

 cceruleus, Moore, but with a more or less prominent submarginal series of dusky lunulas. 



" Female. Upperside : fore wing almost as in C. albocaruhus, but the outer margin less broadly 

 black, the basal area glossed with very bright metallic blue, not unmetallic pale lavender- 

 blue as in the latter species, the discoceUular streak more prominent. Hind wing with the 

 submarginal series of round dusky prominent spots inwardly defined by bluish lunules. 

 Underside : both wings as in the male. 



"Expanse, d 1-00 to 1-40, $ -85 to 1-35 inch." (cle MceviUe, I.e., J. A. S. B.) 



Mr. de Niceville in his ' Butterflies of India,' says : — " In Sikkim this 

 species is slightly dimorphic. The rains form has barely a trace, sometimes 

 none whatever, of tlie discal white patch, which in the dry-season form is 

 very prominent on the upperside of the fore wing. The markings of the 

 underside of both wings are also more prominent in the rains form." 



I have received specimens from Wa-ssu-kow and Omei-shan, in Western 

 China, and from Kiukiang in Central China, all of which agree very well 

 with specimens from Sikkim. 



In India, C, dilectus occurs throughout the Himalayas from Simla to Sikkim, 

 and also in Upper Burma and Upper Assam, and its range extends, as refen-ed 

 to above, into Western and Central China. 



Cyaniris hersilia, sp. nov. (Plate XXXI. fig. 16, ? .) 



Female. General colour of all the wings white, suffused with bluish-grey scales at the base, 

 neuration marked with black ; costa and outer margin of primaries broadly black ; costa of 

 secondaries black, and outer margin blackish grey, enclosing a series of white inter-nervular 

 lunules centred with black ; there is a distinct black discoidal bar on all the wings. Under 

 surface dirty white, markings similar to those in C. arc/iolus, but fewer in number, and those 

 of the submarginal area of all the wings often entirely absent. 



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