74 



RIIO PA LO CERA MA LA VAN A, 



case the male character depends upon the colour blue for its brilliancy, the remarkable affinity 

 of those female forms of Morpho and Zeuzidw are most suggestive. If we allowed ourselves to 

 generalise, it would seem that in Moryltti and Tropical America the brilliant blue character of 

 the male has reached its maximum, and hn s tin iv disct ialed in the majority of instances 

 to the female as a secondary sexual character, whilst in Zntzidiu the females still retain their 

 primitive coloration. 



Mr. Wallace, however, rejects the theory of sexual selection, and substitutes several 

 propositions to account for varying sexual phenomena. One of the principal of these is the "need 

 of protection, repressing in the It-male thuse bright colours which are norm ally produced in both 

 sexes by general laws." * The observation of the habits of both sexes of Ztiizidia would greatly 

 assist this theory, Mr. Wallace has also proposed " Colour as a means of Beeognition " for 

 butterflies, "in which the females of closely-allied species in the same locality sometimes 

 dill'er considerably, while the males are much alike." \ This, however, would not apply to 

 Z. amethyst us t as it possesses a close ally in the female of Z. doubkdatfi, J 



Genus DISOOPHOBA. 



BUcopkora, Boieduvalp Sp. Gen, i, t. 12, f. 3 (188G); Westw. Geu. Dturn. Lep. p. 32'J il&olj ; Moore, Lep. 

 Ceyl. i. [<. :ir> i ikhI). 



Anterior wings subtriangular, with the costal margin very much arched and the apex acute ; the inner 

 margin nearly straight. First subcostal nervule emitted a little before the end of et.ll, anastomosing with 

 costal nervure for some little distance, and then apparently relieved to costa ; the sue end pursuing a like 

 course a little before apex of costal nervure; remaining nervules emitted beyond costal nervure and near 

 apex. Discoidal nervules with their bases contiguous. First median nervule slightly arched, but not 

 angulated beyond apex of cell. Posterior brings subtriangular ; disk of costal margin nearly straight; outer 

 margin of wings, especially in the female, more or less prominently and obtusely angulated at apex of first 

 median nervule, Discoidal cell quite unclosed at apex. 



The males possess a silky oval patch of raised scales on the upper surface of the posterior wings at the 

 bases of the median nervules. 



This genus comprises some eight or nine species, spread over an area which in the main 

 corresponds with that of the two preceding genera. Discophora is found in Continental India, 

 Ceylon, Andaman Islands, Burma, Tenasserim, the Malay Peninsula, and onwards throughout 

 a large portion of the Malayan Archipelago. 



Two species are at present included in this fauna. 



1. Discophora tullia. (Tab. VII., fig. 8 a% 9 s> ,) 



Papilw Tullia, Cramer, Pap. Est. i, t. 81, A, B (1779) ; Fabr. bp. In«. p, 7ti, n. 397 (1781) ; Mont, Lis. p. 88, 



n. 394 (1787); Ent. Sy&t. iii. p. OS, u. 805 (17U3). 

 Morpho Tuliia, Godt. Enc. Metli. ix. p. 440, u. 11) [1828 1. 



Discophora tidtia, Westw. Geu. Drum. Lep, p. 881, n. 1 (1851); Ilorsf. & Moore, Cat, Lup. Mua. E. L C. i. 

 p. 211, n. 481 (1857); Moore, Proc. 'AooL Soii. 1*05, p. 7i>7 ; ibid. 1878, p. 82G ; Bull. Cat. Fabr. Lop. 

 p. 45, n. 1 (1868) ; Trans. Linn. Boo. ser. 2, ZooL vol, i. p. G88, n, 2 (1877); Druce, Proc. Zool. Hoc. 

 1878. p. 841, n. I, 



* 1 Tropical Nature, 4 p. 193. f Ibid, p. 100. 



j The subject hm aim been treated by Fritz MuUer CXosmoa,' 187U, p. 295 et eeq.), with reference to an American 

 butterfly, but lua viewa do not uppJy to our preset! t discussion. 



