2! Hi 



R II OF A LOC KB A MALAYAN A. 



Archipelago, North Australia, many of tbe Pacific Islands, and is found as far north as China. 

 Mr. Wallace had many opportunities of observing the habits of these butterflies, in more than 

 oue habitat, and he reports that " they all fly weakly and slowly, yet they are by no means 

 rare, since in almost every locality I found some of the species very abundant in the forests, 

 flying lazily along near the ground, sometimes settling on a flower, but more generally seeming 

 to wander aimlessly through the pathless recesses of the forest,"* 



Seven species of Delias are here included as found in this fauna, t 



1- Delias dionc. (Tab, XXTV., fig. 5 $ , (>?.) 



Papitio Dions* Drury. Ill, Ex. Ent. ii, t, 8, f. 8, A (1778). 



Belutx ptuitfute var. diont^ Bull, Proc. ZooL Boo. 1872, p. 2U, o- 6, 



JWia* dim# t ButL TrauB. Litm. Soc. set. 2, Zool. vol. i. p. 550, n. 2 (1877 J, 



Male, Anterior wings above very dark indigo-blue; the basal half pale bluish, with the extreme 

 base, costal and inner marginal areas and neuration dark indigo -blue ; a small pale spot beyond cell, 

 and a snbrnarginal series of pale linear ray -like spots placed between the nervuiee. Posterior wings above 

 dark indigo-blue, the basal half pale bluish, the abdominal margin more or less yellowish, the extreme 

 base dark indigo-blue ; a small pale spot at end of cell, and a marginal series of pale linear ray-like spots, 

 but less distinct than those on anterior wings. Anterior wings beneath dark fuscous, a broad and irregular 

 greyish fascia crossing very near ceutre, divided by the fuscous neuration ; a pale spot beyond cell as 

 above, and the submarginal spots as above, but larger and more greyish. Posterior wings yellow, the 

 basal third, the neuration and the outer margin blackish, the last widening at apex, and apparently 

 containing five yellow spots ; the basal black area crossed by a bright carmine-red fascia. Body above 

 indigo- blue, thorax beneath and legs blackish. Abdomen beneath greyish. 



Female. Wings above dark fuscous ; anterior wings with a broad irregular central greyish fascia 

 divided by the fuscous neurations, and a submarginal series of greyish linear spots ; posterior wings 

 ciossed by an oblique, broad, greyish fascia near base, divided by the dark neuration. Wings beneath as in 

 male, the central fascia to anterior wings broader and absorbing the spot at end of cell ; posterior wings 

 with the yellow colour paler and more greyish, 



Exp. wings, $ and 2 w 65 to 72 millim. 



Has.— Malay Peninsula; Province Wellealey (colls. Sailer & Diet) ; Malacca (Pin will— Brit. Mus.) — 

 Borneo (Brit. Mua,)» 



This species is intermediate between D. pasitlioe t Linn*, a species found in Continental 

 India, and D. egiaha, Cram., which is a Javan species. It is one of the many distinct forms 

 or species found in this region, in which more or less common features bear witness to a 

 common progenitor, \ 



* Trans, Ent, Soc. sor. 8, vol. iv. p. 844, 



\ In a synonymic list of the species <>f Delias (Proc Zonl. See. 1872, p. 20), Mr. Bntlcr bus givem D. JirVrfs, Hubn,, 

 D. cucharist Dm., and D.descnmhesi, Uuisd., as found in renaug. but I have as yet failod to find any corroboration of the fact 

 of mh-Ii secies being found there. 



J Tbe Eev. L. C, Biggs baa given some interesting facta relating to this butterfly, under the name of Delias jEyialfa. 

 He speaks of it as tbe "common coasting butterfly,'* and describes it as being found sometimes in an " apparently endless 

 BtrcFim" all following one direction, and numbering twenty to thirty in night per minute from any one point, but forming 

 & belt several miles broad, extending far inland from the coast, and from morning till night continuing to pass any fixed 

 point for a fortnight or more. "It seemn seldom to feed or alight during these migrations, except at night or in early 



morning, when with dawn it resumes ita flight Now and then it is entangled in a sort of cul &c «ae, formed by thick 



Humps of fruit ircr-s, or lln> high walls of bouses, against which it will dash itself repeatedly and recklessly* willing to 

 persoWo until death, This in eHperiullv npt to be tbe case when a strong head wind is blowing against it" Monthly 

 Packet/ vol. ii. pp. I8G-7, 1881). 



