42 
SOME EAST AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES 
of Nyrnyhalidae and Lycaenidae are peculiar to it. Within 
this region there are two well-marked sub-divisions which used 
to be known as the West-coast and the East-coast, but should be 
more properly designated the Forest and the Not-forest faunas. 
British East Africa belongs mainly to the Not-forest area, 
but many Forest species are found in the more Western 
districts, and some even in outlying patches of forest right 
down to the coast. The more characteristic African forms 
belong to the Forest fauna. My own experience only extends 
as far as the East of the Great Rift Valley, and is mainly 
confined to the Not-forest area. 
The present note is on two species of the genus Euxanthe, 
which is a very isolated genus of the family Nym'phalidae, 
and is now generally regarded as allied to the great genus 
Charaxes. The genus Euxanthe is altogether peculiar to 
the Ethiopian region, and is generally distributed in the 
tropical parts of the country. These butterflies are of consider- 
able size, about three or four inches in expanse, though the 
females may be somewhat larger. They are characterised by 
very broad rounded wings, the fore wings being very short 
in proportion to their breadth, at any rate in the males. They 
are generally found in forest or at any rate woodland country. 
There are some six species known, but I have only met with 
two in the districts which I have worked. 
1. Euxanthe wakefieldi. Ward. — This species is not un- 
common in the Coast district and extends as far as Taita and 
Taveta. It is always found in more or less wooded country, 
and I have met with it in such localities even on Mombasa 
island. It is very fond of settling on the outer leaves of trees, 
often fairly high up, and thence chasing its fellows from time 
to time, the butterflies circling round each other for some 
minutes before coming to rest again. It is also frequently to 
be seen at rest on the trunks of trees even low down, and is not 
difficult to capture as it has a habit of returning over the same 
ground again and again. It is an interesting fact that this 
species has very similar habits to the Charaxes, in spite of 
its very different appearance. 
The male is about three inches in expanse or perhaps a 
little more, the fore wings being exceedingly short in proportion 
