RIIOPALOCEUA MALA VAN A. 



243 



The species of this genus have hitherto been placed in tbe genus Aphmens, the type of 

 which is the African A, orcas, Dru. f which has five subcostal nervules to the anterior wings, • 

 and consequently is quite distinct from Spijidasis, which has but four* The late Mr. Hewitson 

 pointed out the difference in tbe neuratiou, \ and though Mr. Moore, in his 1 Lepidoptera of 

 Ceylon, 1 describes the genus Aphixms on the characters of Ceylon species, and correctly gives 

 the type of the genus as A, orcas s he must have been unable to examine a specimen of that 

 species, 



There has been, however, no necessity to make a new generic name, as Wallengren 

 proposed his Spindasis for the species hitherto known as Aphnatus natalensis, D. & H., and under 

 that generic name the ft us torn species will find their natural classification* 



This is an Ethiopian as well as an Oriental genus, it being particularly well represented 

 in Africa. Only one species from the Malay Peninsula is at present known to the writer. J 



L Spindasis syama, (Tab. XXIII., figs. 8 & 9 s .) 



Amhhjimdia Si/ama, Horsfield, Cat. Lep. E.LO, p. 107, n. 39 (1829). 

 AmhhjpihJla Stjma r TVestw. Gen. Diuru. Lep. p. 478, n. 20 (1852). 



dffmatii Horsf. & Moore* Cat. Lep. Mas. E. I. C* i. p. 88, n. 60 (1857); Htrwits. Ill, Pinna, Lep. 



p. til, t. 25, f. 7 (1865). 



Male. Wings above fuliginous- brown, shaded witb brigbt violaceous, ibis shading being principally 

 on the inner basal area of the anterior wings, and on tbe inner basal half of tbe posterior wings ; anal 

 angle of posterior wings reddish-oehraceoua, with two black marginal spots marked with some Bilvery 

 scales, the first and smallest situate above the sub median nervure ; tail- like appendages blackish, with 

 their base ochraceous and their apices greyish- white. Wings beneath very pale ocbrnceous. Anterior 

 wings with, five blackish fascia with silvery centres, the first crossing cell a little beyond middle and 

 extending to costal margin, the second commencing on costa at about end of cell and directed outwardly 

 to near posterior angle, the third short, straight and compressed on each side near middle, extending from 

 costa to a little beneath lower discoidal nervule, the fourth directed inwardly and extending from costa to a 

 little heneath upper median nervule {the third and fourth in some varieties meeting as in fuj. 8), tbe fifth 

 submarginal and almost, or sometimes quite, meeting apex of second near posterior angle; a longitudinal 

 black streak with a few silvery scales extending nearly along the upper basal half of cell, a broad fuscous 

 streak beneath basal half of cell, a narrow outer Bubmargitial blackish fascia and extreme margin of the 

 same colour. Posterior wings with four blackish fascia) with silvery centres ; the first and basal more or less 

 fractured, the second crossing disk of wing extending beneath the third median nervule (where it ib always 

 more or less indistinct), and deflected upwards to abdominal margin, third shortest extending from costa to 

 beneath upper median nervule, the fourth and outer fascia eoimimK-ing beneath apex, almost lost in the 

 anal-angular ochraceous spot and deflected upwards to abdominal margin ; some blackish basal streaks and 

 spots, a narrow posterior submarginal blackish faseiu, and the extreme margin of tbe same colour. Fringe 

 of both wings greyish. Black anal-angular spots as above. Body above more or less concolorous with 



* This in ji very ran.' specie*, ami I run much indebted u* both Prof. M'estwood of Oxford, and Mr, A. G. Butler of the 

 British Museum, for kindly examining the ueimilion ,if ilu Mime for me. Mr, Butler also iuforms me that Drury'a figure of 

 the species is a bad cm:-. 



t 111, Diurn. Lep. p. fiO (1805), He describes A. orcas as having four, and the Syama group as having tlireo " branches 

 from the mibeostal nervure"; but as pointed out (antca, p. iy7) Mr.Hewit*oii estimated the number differently to the method 

 pursued here. 



I Butler has included in the " List of Butterflies collected by Ci.pt. Piuwill in Malacca" (Trans. Linn. Soc. scr. 2, 

 Zool. vol, i. p. 549, n. 1), Aphtiasu* I oh it ft, Horsf,; but although I have received a lon^ series <A A. xyttimt from the various 

 districts of the Peninsula, I have never niet— a.s yet — with an example of A. tohiia. It is easily recognised from A. auutmt* as 

 pointed out by Uorsticld, by the foscite on the under mirfuce of the wings being " wholly without any black marginal thread," 



