LYC^NID^. 
43 
wing blackishj in hind-wing of the ground-colour and confluent except 
the first and rarely the second spot), — and two rows of faint- whitish 
lunules (separated by darker marks), of which the outer forms annulets 
with a whitish hind-marginal line ; a thin blackish line bordering hind- 
margin. Hind-iuing : four white-ringed dark spots before middle, — 
one (usually the most conspicuous) between costal and subcostal ner- 
vures, one in cell and two on inner margin ; hind-marginal black spot 
usually whitish-ringed and often orange-lunuled, — sometimes obso- 
lete ; row beyond middle angulated on second subcostal nervule. 
$ Glisteiiing darh greyish-hrown ; very rarely with a few blue scales 
near bases. Hind-wing: besides hind-marginal black spot (which is 
very rarely indistinct), a row of indistinct pale annulets is usually 
visible. Under side. — As in $ ; markings more distinct. 
In some specimens, of both sexes, the markings are very faint beneath, 
and the ground-colour duller and slightly darker than usual. 
I have not found any characters to distinguish L. Sehagadis (Gu6r.) from 
Messapus. A rather large and pale $ in the Hewitson Collection in the 
British Museum, which I examined in 1881, was marked "type," and was 
thus probably received from M. Guerin as true Sehagadis. 
In the under-side markings and in the upper side of the ^ , Messapus is 
not unlike a miniature L. Cissus (Godt.), but the wholly brown upper side 
of the $ is altogether different from that of the $ Cissus, and is not unlike 
that of L. Alsus (W. V.), so well-known a native of Europe. In size and 
appearance generally it most resembles L. Lijsimon (Hiibn.), but the $ differs 
in its very much narrower dark border, and the $ in its want of any blue, 
on the upper side ; while both sexes present a darker, much less distinctly 
spotted under side, wanting in the fore-wing the two sub-basal spots well 
marked in Lysimon. 
This Lyccena abounds about Cape Town, occurring throughout the year in 
open ground, especially in grassy spots. Its flight is very weak and close to 
the ground, and it settles very frequently on low plants. It has a wide dis- 
tribution in South Africa, but I am not aware of its occurrence in Natal, 
and have not met with it at all numerously except near Cape Town. 
Localities of Lycmna Messapus. 
I. South Africa. 
B. Cape Colony. 
a. Western Districts. — Cape Town. Vogel Vley, Tulbagh Dis- 
trict. Caledon (/. X. Merriman). Bobertson. Montagu. 
Knysna. Plettenberg Bay. 
h. Eastern Districts. — Murraysburg {J. J. Muskett). Grahams- 
town. King William's Town (IF. S. M. U Urban). 
d. Basutoland. — Maseru (/. H. Bowker). 
D. Kaffraria Proper. — Butterworth and Bashee Biver (/. H. Bowker). 
II. Other African Begions. 
B. North Tropical. 
hi Eastern Interior. — "Abyssinia {Lefehvre).^^ — Guerin [Se- 
hagadis']. 
