62 
ACONTIID^. 
brown, with partly black-edged undulated boundary followed by three grey dashes indicating 
an irregular transverse line; central belt more uniform in width and less irregular than in 
A. signifera, cupreous-brown varied with leaden grey and black instead of pale olivaceous 
and grey ; the reniform stigma smaller, transverse oblong, black or grey wath a white edge ; 
the white band beyond the centi'al belt continuous, enclosing a sinuous grey line, this band 
in the male is very narrow, but in the female broad, — consequently the discal belt, which in 
the male is broad and of the same colours as the central belt, is restricted in the female and 
forms a zigzag grey band ; external border grey, bounded internally by a zigzag white line ; 
a marginal series of black or grey dots, more or less edged with white ; fringe white at apex, 
otherwise metallic leaden grey, with paler stripes in certain lights : secondaries pale shining 
brownish grey ; fringe silvery grey. Under surface leaden grey in the male, pale shining 
brown in the female : primaries with a costal spot and the apex whitish or yellowish ; abdo- 
minal half of secondaries wliitish ; male with marginal black dots. Expanse of wings, 
16 millim., ? 17 miilim. 
Dharmsala. 
Acontia picata. (Plate CXXIX. fig. 2.) 
Primaries above pure white ; a spot close to base of costa ; an almost central belt with black 
^ - shaped inner edge and irregular furcate outer edge partly enclosing two spots to repre- 
sent the reniform stigma; a small dot on the costa above the latter, an irregular apical patch, 
another near centre of external area varied with black, and a few scattered squamose spots oliva- 
ceous brown ; two costal dots and an oblique dash on the apical patch white ; a golden-brown 
marginal line ; fringe spotted and mottled with grey : secondaries silvery grey ; fringe yellowish 
at base : thorax and basal two fifths white, remainder of abdomen pale brown, with two black 
dorsal tufts ; anterior tibiae and tarsi above banded with black and yellow. Under surface 
creamy whitish : wings sericeous with golden reflections ; primaries partly suffused with 
grey ; basal two thirds of costa blackish, varied with ochreous and sprinkled with white, 
terminated by an angular white marking ; remainder of costa ochreous; costal fringe spotted 
with black ; faint greyish indications of two stripes representing a central belt, and a greyish 
spot at the end of the cell ; outer border white, excepting at apex ; a marginal series of black 
dashes ; fringe grey, the base ochreous, the centre enclosing two imperfect white lines, the 
outer edge varied with black and white spots : secondaries with grey- speckled costal third ; 
the basal third of costal border yellowish : a spot at the end of the cell and an arched discal 
line dark grey ; a marginal series of slender blackish lituree ; fringe rather paler than in the 
primaries : palpi blackish at the sides. Expanse of wings 21 millim. 
Dharmsala. 
"Found on rocks and in roadside cuttings; cocoon of dry earth." A. picata comes 
nearest to A. signifera^ but is a larger and more boldly marked species. 
