1 SSI. J 
Ihe flight of the fire-fly is somewhat flickering and uncertain, it 
seems to move about in an objectless sort of way, the light dis- 
appearing and re-appearing at intervals of less than a second, though 
sometimes they show the light for longer periods, and, occasionally, I 
notice that it is not extinguished at all. When running up a pane of 
glass, the alternations of light and darkness are very rapid, five or six 
times in a second. When two fire-flies happen to fly side by side 
for a short distance, their light is not simultaneous, nor is it, either, 
if only a dozen or so are scattered over one bush, to do it properly 
a whole congregation is required, then they sit down altogether, do 
not move, and produce and extinguish their light in unison, apparently 
for the fun of the thing. 
Elopura, Borneo : 
1 2th December, 1880. 
DESCRIPTION of a NEW SPECIES OF LYCJENID M FROM PENANG. 
BY W. L. DISTANT, V.P.E.S. 
Iolaus (Puelisa) GIGANTEUS, 11. sp. 
Above, brilliant cerulean-blue. Anterior-wings : costal margin, to about one- 
third from base, broadly hoary-grey, remainder of costal margin, apical third and 
outer margin, dark fuscous. This dark fuscous portion occupies rather more than 
one-third of the wing, commencing at costa it is curved downwards past end of cell, 
gradually narrowing and terminating near posterior angle on inner margin. Pos- 
terior-wings bi-caudate, with the outer margin broadly dark fuscous, terminating at 
anal angle with a lunulate fuscous spot, irrorated with blue scales, outwardly mar- 
gined with white, followed by the dark line separating the fringe, which is white. 
Tails fuscous, bordered with white fringe. Abdomen and inner margin of wings 
hoary and pilose. 
Beneath, smoky-grey, both wings crossed by a submarginal narrow dark fascia, 
commencing about mid-way between end of cell and margin, which is sharply defined 
outwardly, and evanescent inwardly, waved, but entire on anterior-wing, but deeply 
sinuate towards apex of posterior- -wing ; a pale marginal border containing some 
obscure lunulate marks on anterior, and a double row of smoky sub-lunulate marks 
on posterior-wing ; a black spot faintly margined with blue before base of first tail, 
and a larger spot of the same colour at anal angle. Fringe of the anterior-wings 
concolorous, of the posterior white. Exp. of wings, 52 mm. 
Hab. : Penang. 
This fine species, which I have lately received from the above 
locality, was not known to me when collecting there a few years since. 
The only other specimen which I have seen is a mutilated one, without 
locality, which has been in the collection of Mr. F. Moore for the last 
twenty years, and which he tells me frequently excited the interest of 
himself and the late Mr. Hewitson. Purlisa is the name of a genus in 
MS., which Mr. Moore has proposed for the reception of this species. 
Sols (on Villas, Derwent Grove, East Dulwich : 
March, 1881. 
