RUQPAUJCEUA MALAYAN A. 



37 



Subfain. SATYRINjE. 



Sittyriiur, Dates, ,t guru. En t. ii. p. 170(1804); Moore, Lop. Ceyl. i. p. 13 (1881 )♦ 

 Satyntla, Swaiiia., Cab. Cycl. pp. 86, 98 (1840) ; \Vestw. p Gen. Diurn. Lop. 1 H - }™> <« M'J'f ti* i«ht. (Fr-m 



p. 852 ilHrjl> ; Tj'iiuou. Hlu.p. Mr. Austr. p. 184 ilBtiHu 

 Evrytotida (part), Wostw., Gen. Dmrn. Lop. p. 408 (.1851 1. ^^JfMfeaSSStoibi 

 FAtfmmhut, Heir.-Hulmff., Prodr, S>v*t. Lop, i. p. 15 (J.HG4). 

 l-;i;ttmiiin f r, Kirby, Cat. Dioro. Lep. p. 112 (1871). 



Diseoidal cell of the hind wing closed. Palpi of the imago generally 

 comprised and fringed with long hair- scales. Larvae smooth and spineless, 

 with the tails bifid. < 



This widely dispersed and cosmopolitan subfamily possesses 



several characters of both interest and importance, as demonstrative F((i tl Hfift4 H , ]()willg J£j {Krvaliy 

 of its distinctive position. T,m - T,in,,t| ) t,f 



The smooth spineless larva?, with bind tails, are also found in the allied snbfam. Brassolim . 

 stnd likewise occur in the subfam. Nijmphalina', of which the genera Apatnrti and Gharaxc* may 

 serve as examples. These larval coincidences in the different subfamilies may he well observed 

 by a study of Dr. Horsfield's classification, that author having, on similar but less rigid larval 

 characters, founded his Tfajmmivifwm group, + Mr. Newman, dealing with the same affinities, J 

 described these larva? as "slug-shaped caterpillars" {Limaciformes), and as examples figured those 

 of Apatura iris and two species of Satijriwv. Dr. Wei sin an has also noticed this incongruence. § 

 This form of larva, however, is constant throughout the Satyr-hut; thus exhibiting — to use the 

 good English equivalent given for a German term of Dr, Weisman — a " congruence" of larval 

 characters. They are almost all feeders on various passes, to whieh their green. coloration and 

 markings assimilate them, thus affording a good example of " protective coloration.' * In an 

 evolutionary sense there are also ample grounds for considering them as exhibiting a very 

 primitive form* Dr. Weisman has made the most profound and philosophical study of larval 

 characters, principally as found in the Spkingidto, a family which strongly exhibits more or less 

 specialised larval markings. He considers the oldest Sphinx larvse as being without markings 

 and probably protected only by adaptive coloration and a large caudal horn, &c. It is at least 

 probable that the bifid tails of the Satyr hue fulfil an analogous protective function with this 

 caudal horn in the Sphingida, or with the forked horn at the tails of the larva* of some genera 

 of moths. With the next stage of Sphingid evolution, where the larva? have become longi* 

 tudinally striped, we may almost apply Dr. Wcisman's very words to the Satyriiur " The 

 caterpillars thus marked must have been best hidden on those plants in which an arrangement 

 of paraLlel linear parts predominated ; and we may venture to suppose that at this period most 

 of the larvae of the Spkintjithv lived on or among such plants (grasses)." || 



* This Rtihfnmily is confined to Tropical America. t Peficrip. Cat. Lep. Iua. pp. 21 -2. 



; 'iinlitOj LintUTlJirs/ pp. Li) !W. 



§ 'Stmliitf in the Theory of Doscont/ p. {Enjj. oil J. Dr. Woisnian, however, errs in stilting Unit the imagines of 

 tliG genera Apatura and Rymphaliit differ from lho»i- Of fihue S<(t;/rhur chiefly " in the absence of an enlnrpornpnt of rr<rtiiin 

 roints of the tan mi ^smfiitiikl cloirncUir of the Satyrhitc," as the enlargement of these veins is not a coiihtant charm-tar, 



whilst th« iivrr ..r li-ss jtir^phh-d ilisi-n-ei-lluliir m-rviih-t nf the posterior wliiijr in nil iho gowni »f tliv Sijmyhttthnf :i 

 constant arid easily observed character to separate that subfamily from the Saiyriiits. 



|| * Studies in the Theory of Descent.* p. 381, 



