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MELANITIS. By H. Ertthstorfer. 
hylecoetes. Celebes. There are three local races: hylecoetes I I oil. described from S. Celebes, taken by me in the north 
of the island at Toli-Toli, November, December, d up. s. with the same arrangement of black apical and trans- 
cellular bands as in oinoe $(95 cl), but ground colour pale slate-gray, un. s. yellowish with gray-brown marbling. 
9 like oinoe $ but with smaller whiter subapical spot f. w. un. s. yellowish brown with weak red brown 
pyrrha. median band. — pyrrha Fob., the typical form coming from the Isle of Bangkai; I have only one $ that shows 
oinoe. a more fallow yellow up. and un. s. than hylecoetes and oinoe $$. At Batjan is found oinoe Fruhst. (95 d) 
easily separated from hylecoetes through the predominant gray tint of un. s. of both wings, which appear cross- 
hatched with fine white. Eyespots sometimes without yellow periphery. $ of a more intense yellow ochre, 
with eyespots un. s. h. w. in stronger contrast than in pyrrha and hylecoetes. Batjan. $ appears commoner than 
the $, but the latter certainly escapes the collector in Malay, thanks to its resemblance to the valueless leda. 
M. constantia is one of the most startling examples of sexual dimorphism among the Satyrids. It inhabits 
the Molukka district but its numerous local forms push on eastward as far as the Salomons. Plentiful at the 
centre of their geographical distribution in Molukka, they are of rare occurrence at its periphery; thus I have 
only seen three specimens from German New Guinea. The most contradictory views prevailed about this 
species formerly, they have been tacked on to M. leda and again to M. amabilis which is to be treated below. 
The d has always irregular, more or less distinct, yellow-ochre bands, proximally and distally f. w., and these 
in the $ are paler or darker yellow according to locality, but are always notably broader. Ground colour 
of d always dark, that of $ a somewhat pale cocoa brown. Seasonal forms well marked but not so much so 
constantia. as in the zitenius and phedima groups. — constantia Cr. the nomenclature type was described by its author 
from a $ which is not far removed from the dictatrix $ (95 a) but with the interior of the eyespot of. t. w. 
more strangled and the band moreover narrower. The costal part of f. w. is paler and intermixed with a 
whitish colour. 9 un. s. pale cocoa-brown, the brown longitudinal bands with whitish bordering. Ocelli ringed 
with yellow, rather oblong than round. Two forms of the d exist, one like the $ with broader oblique band, 
depict a. the other with a disappearing yellow-ochre stripe (= depicta Fruhst.) Un. s. looks like a dry leaf and varies 
dictatrix. from red to yellow-brown. S.Molukka. — dictatrix Fruhst. (95 a), smaller, with rounder wings than constantia, 
but still with much broader, more uniform and essetially paler submarginal band f. w. Un. s. lighter, richer 
obiana. colours, but with smaller ocelli than constantia. Bu u. — obiana Fruhst. d : f. w. band very broad near costa 
and narrowing anally. $: the submarginal band f. w. as wide again as in constantia, with black subapical marks 
reduced however to dots. Un. s. of $ especially apical region of f. w. much paler, light yellow instead of gray- 
batjana. white or brown as in constantia and dictatrix. — batjana Fruhst. (95 a), d with strongly darkened cross band 
f. w., $ with very pale yellow transverse band that is proximally deeply toothed. Un. s. somewhat darker than 
obiana. Both sexes usually smaller than preceding races. The dry season form is remarkable in the dd f° r 
microph- its reduced ocelli, only narrowly ringed with yellow (= microphtlialma Fruhst.) N. Molluka, Batjan, Halma- 
lalaAa ^ ie ' ra - — salapia subsp. nov. is not so big as specimens from Amboina and Burn, the band, particularly of $ is 
considerably reduced and the eyespots of h. w. un. s. are smaller than in the specimens from S. Molukka. Sula, 
Mangoli, type in the Staudinger collection from the original species of this spendid island group 
collected by Dr. Platten; every species he took wears a different colouring from that of any species from the 
other Molukkas or from Celebes; many of these races have been reformed into distinct species, as for example, 
qylippa. in the Culapa, Clerome, Euthalia and also the Danaid groups. — gylippa Swinh., described as a species having 
no near relation, is most closely akin to geluna (95 a). Specimens in which the band of f. w. is only preserved 
minuscula. as a square patch are described as minuscula Fruhst. Un. s. of both wings melanising as in batjana, and with 
geluna. smaller ocelli of latter forms a passage to the Papuan races. Key. — geluna Fruhst. (95 a), d- With its handsome 
appearance and darkened band of f. w. approaches depicta from the S. Molukkas, differs however from all known 
races by its almost eyeless un. s. The type at all events is of the dry season. German New Guinea, Mt. Gelu 
kapaura. of Finisterre chain. According to Hagen from October till January, then again in June. -— kapaura Fruhst. 
d- Band of f. w. rather narrower than in constantia, of a dark yellow-ocre coulour and reaching to the anal angle 
vieforica. as in the Obi form, somewhat darker and with smaller eyespots. Kapaur, Dutch New Guinea. — meforica 
Fruhst. d near kapaura, f. w. band broadened costally, yet somewhat narrowed in the middle, neater cut of whig, 
smaller size. Un. s. rich violet-gray. Mefoor Island. — jobina Fruhst. Very near the above but with band more 
despoiiata. obsolete, as in geluna, un. s. very dark, ocelli as in Key form. Jobi Island. — despoliata Fruhst. Specimens from 
the Shortlands with strikingly small f. w. band, narrowed off anally. Salomons, New Pommerania (R-ibbe), 
New Hannover (Pagenstecher). 
amabilis. M. amabilis, rarer and less subject to geographical polymorphism than the preceding, but dissimilarity 
of sexes here reaches its climax. Ground colour of d intense coffee-brown, 
