578 
CYRESTIS. By H. Fruhstorfer. 
and broad, on the hindwing quite suddenly contract to nearly one half their width, appearing as if they were 
broken off, in consequence of which the wings appear much lighter. The third meridional stripe, which is just 
as fine and sharply defined as in maenalis, whereas in roihschildi it is broader and more indistinctly delineated, 
is on the forewing connected with the submarginal band by a short, feebly blackened bridge on the third median 
nervule. In the yellow anal spots and the blue stripe in the submarginal band on the hindwing it resembles 
the typical maenalis. The second and third meridional stripes show on the hindwings no inclination to coalesce, 
as is invariably the case in roihschildi. The type, one 3 captured by Whitehead in Negros in February 1896, 
ocbasius . is in the Tring Museum. •— oebasius subsp. nov., which connects the forms of the central Philippines with those 
from Palawan, is closely allied to obscurior, which it even surpasses in the extent of the brown-black longitu¬ 
dinal bands on the upper surface of both wings. All the fulvous patches are deeper in colour, more reddish than 
yellow as in obscurior. Type was found in Bazilan by Doherty in February. The Semper collection in Frankfort 
obscurior . o. M. contains some very large specimens from Mindanao. —- obscurior Stgr. from Palawan and Babber is 
an unfortunate name for this form, which is decidedly lighter in colour than its allies seminigra and roihschildi , 
both of which have all bands and meridional stripes jet-black, whereas in obscurior they are smoky-gray; 
however the ground-colour is not clear white, but of a dull, dirty yellowish tone, which may possibly have 
given rise to the name obscurior-, moreover it seems that Staudinger based the comparison of his specimens 
from Palawan on typical white maenalis of the nivea group. In the same way as superbus Stgr. differs from 
borneensis in the strong increase of the yellow markings, obscurior is much more yellow than seminigra, especially 
at the apex and anal angle of the forewing and in the outer half of the submarginal band on the hindwing; 
also the reniform patch above the yellow anal spot on the forewing is generally surrounded by a yellow ground. 
The third or outer meridional stripe is on the forewing above the third median nervule united with the submar¬ 
ginal band by means of a short bridge of smoky-gray colour, obscurior is practically devoid of all blue markings, 
and the chain pattern is limited to two links. The $$ are larger and paler, have the apex still more yellow 
on the forewing, the tails very long and the outline of the wings more rounded. The Fruhstorfer collection 
aiedius . contains one $, captured in 1898 by Doherty, which has the ground-colour nearly entirely yellow. •—- aie- 
dius subsp. nov. differs from obscurior but slightly in the increased black striping, the diminution of all the red 
patches, especially at the anal angle of the hindwing, and the absence of the yellowish chains distally to the 
broad, black, submarginal band on the hindwing. Beneath it has a more intense lustre of mother-of-pearl. Bala- 
seminigra . bac, 11 specimens in my collection. -—• seminigra Sm. is, like irmae and martini, an Alpine, and among the 
white Cyrestis the darkest form, representing the most extreme Melanism in the whole genus. The fore wing 
has the costal margin broadly bordered with black, all veins sprinkled with black, the meridional stripes very 
broadly black, the outer one on the forewing always connected with the submarginal band by a heavy black 
band on the third median, all of which greatly reduces the white ground-colour. Whereas irmae and all the 
other species of this group display in the yellow anal spot on the forewing two black dots, seminigra has but 
one, but the second one stands higher up beyond the yellow' area, is much larger and surrounded by a pale 
border, appearing like a small, imperfect link in the chain-pattern which on the hindwing resembles that of 
martini , irmae. —- martini Harterl (122 a), but rarely found in collections, differs from the better known irmae from 
Sumatra in that on account of the greatly diminished black colouring the white ground-colour touches the costal 
margin of the fore wing; the inner meridional stripe is much finer; distally to the reniform patch above the yellow 
anal spot on the forewing we notice a clear white, oval spot, represented in irmae only by a small streak; the 
hindwing has near the upper portion of the outer margin a much larger triangular area of white, and the 
two white lines in the submarginal band more distinct, heavier and less broken; toward the apex they increase 
in width and assume a pale, silvery-blue lustre, in consequence of which the submarginal band appears broader 
and lighter. Chain-pattern as in irmae, which on the average it exceeds in size. Perak, Malay Peninsula. $ 
irmae . not represented in my collection. — irmae Forb. is found in western Sumatra and in the Battak Mountains 
in the north-eastern part of the island. It is an Alpine form, limited to elevations of from 2000—■ 
4000 ft. and higher, whereas nivalis does not rise beyond 2000 ft. At those altitudes it is rather abundant, much 
more so than nivalis of the lower plains, with which it shares the habit of frequenting the edge of small water¬ 
courses or moist spots in the road, where together with other Cyrestis and numerous Pieridae.it avidly sips 
the moisture from the wet sand. Martin possesses specimens of every month in the year, whence it would 
seem that one brood succeeds the other. As among hundreds of S3 not a single $ has been found, the 
must have an entirely different mode of life. In the Tring Museum, however, there is among 26 S3 one $ 
captured by Ericson at Loeboe-Radja, which is much larger and lighter in colour and has the meridional 
stripes, particularly the outer one, almost as fine as in nivalis. Staudinger gave irmae also the name of sumatren- 
sis; from nivalis it is distinguished by having the median stripes, especially the inner one, much heavier, whereas 
the outer one shows at its commencement at the costa of the forewing a bulb-shaped enlargement. All the veins 
are black, which is only partly the case in nivalis and nivea. The forewing has moreover the costal margin all 
over bordered with black, a few' insignificant interruptions excepted between the broader ends of the meridion- 
