82 
MELANITIS. By Dr. C. Aurivillnis. 
phegea. E. phegea F. (26 a). The forewing is black-brown with a large orange-yellow hindmarginal spot and 
an orange-yellow discal band; these almost touch in cellule 2; at the costal margin there are small white 
striae from the base to beyond the middle; the hindwing is above orange-yellow with a broader or narrower 
marginal band, which is formed of more or less confluent, brown transverse streaks. Beneath the wings are 
coloured nearly as above, but the transverse streaks are much more distinct and distributed over almost the entire 
anguslata. surface of the hindwing. ab. angustata Bartel has a narrower and lighter yellow discal band on the forewing. In 
intermedia, intermedia Auriv. this band is pure white and likewise narrower than in the type-form. — Liberia to Gaboon. 
bammakoo. E. bammakoo Westw. (26 a) differs from phegea in having the markings white or whitish; the hindmarginal 
spot of the fore wing is much smaller and does not usually reach vein 2: the light basal area of the hindwing 
is also much more restricted, the dark marginal band on the contrary much broader; on the underside of the 
hindwing the ground-colour is often more or less yellowish. Everywhere in the West African forest region. 
ratrayi. E. ratrayi E. Sharpe (26 a) has an almost perpendicular orange-yellow transverse band on the forewing, 
which extends from the costal to the hindmargin, but is sometimes shortly interrupted in cellule lb; the 
ngandae. broad median area of the hindwing is pure white. Uganda. — ab. ugandae Griivb. only differs in having 
the transverse band of the forewing broader in cellules 2 and 3. Uganda. 
2. Subfamily: Satyrinae. 
The forms of this subfamily are almost always distinguished by the wings having beneath a submarginal transverse 
row of eye-spots. The development of the eye-spots is essentially dependent on the seasons. The rainy-season (summer) 
forms have large, more numerous and more sharply prominent eye-spots, whilst in the dry-season (winter) forms they are 
small and punetiform or entirely disappear. This variability of the eye-spots is sometimes also accompanied by differences 
in the ground-colour of the under surface. 
In order to simplify the synopsis, I divide the 14 genera into four groups. 
Synopsis of the Generic Groups. 
1. Claws cleft. 
II. Claws simple. 
A. The forewing with three veins strongly inflated at the base. 
B. The forewing at most with two veins inflated at the base. 
a. Eyes hairy. 
b. Eyes naked. 
Melanitis Group. 
Mycalesis Group. 
Pararge Group. 
Ypthima Group. 
Melanitis Group. 
To this group belong only two genera, which are very nearly allied and agree in having the palpi scaled, the eyes 
naked and both wings more or less angled or tailed. The forewing is sharply angled at the end of vein 5 and the hindwing 
tailed at vein 4. The under surface is very variable, either finely striated or marbled, resembling dry leaves. The butterflies 
love dark places in the woods and rest on the ground among fallen leaves; they are crepuscular in their habits and for 
the most part fly only in the evening shortly before sunsest. 
2. Genus: Melanitis F. 
The precostal vein of the hindwing arises after the separation of vein 8 from the anterior margin of 
the cell. This genus is represented in Africa by three species, but is very strongly represented in the Indo- 
Malayan Region (Fruhstorfer distinguishes 100 forms in the Indian region. The habits of Melanitis are fully 
described in vol. I, p. 88 and vol. IX, p. 261—262). 
leda. M. Ieda L. was described from Amboina and occurs in the Indo-Malayan Region in a number of 
africcma. races, which are not very sharply distinguished. — The Ethiopian form africana Fruhst. does not differ 
materially from the Indian, the only particular difference being that the red-yellow subapical area on the 
upperside of the forewing is on an average larger. In the rainy-season form the wings are above dark brown, 
the hindwing without red-yellow, but the forewing nearly always before the apex with a large red-yellow 
spot, which covers a great part of cellules (2) 3 — 6 and encloses two black, white-pupilled eye-spots in cellules 
3 and 4; the under surface is grey, finely watered with brown, and has distinct black, yellow-ringed and 
white-pupilled eye-spots, of which there are usually three on the forewing in cellules 3, 5 and 6, and six on 
the hindwing in cellules lc—-6; these often occur above also, although here smaller. In the dry-season form 
the under surface is marbled or banded and the eye-spots are small and punetiform or entirely absent; the 
