THE BUTTERFLIES OF CEYLON 41 
It differs from’ epius as follows: Much darker ground 
colour, no white spot on fore wing of 3, and only a slight pale 
patch on 9. 
S. eptus varies considerably in the size of the white patch, 
especially the female, but I have not yet come across a speci- 
men which quite answers the description of nubilus. The 
nearest approaches to it I have seen were a few dwarf speci- 
mens which had bred on “ mealy bug” on some pot palms 
in the verandah of the Galle Hotel. Should it occur in 
Ceylon, I expect it would prove to be only a seasonal form of 
epius. 
72. MEGISBA MALAYA THWAITESI Megisba malaya, De N., 
B., E.; Megisba thwattesi, M. 
In India there are two forms of malaya, one tailed, the 
other tailless. McDoherty states that “all my Kaumaon 
specimens, as well as those taken by me in Burma and 
Chittagong, are tailed, while in Orissa, Ceylon and the 
Eastern and Western Ghats, their place appears to be 
taken by a tailless form Of this last, those from Ceylon 
and the Western Ghats are apparently Megisba thwattest, 
Moore, but those from Orissa and the Eastern Ghats seem 
to me identical with P. malaya, except in absence of the 
tail.”’ De Nicéville says: “I possess both forms from one 
locality only, ie., Sikkim.” The few tailed specimens 
from Sikkim that I have seen were larger and more heavily 
marked on the under side than our forms, and I think the 
latter might stand as Megislba malaya thwattesi, till breeding 
experiments have proved them to be only a variety of malaya, 
or a distinct species. 
The male is very abundant in the low-country of Uva, and 
may be seen settled in dozens on the sand in river-beds, or on 
wet patches in the roads. The female, which has more 
rounded wings, is much scarcer 
It is not rare at Haldummulla, but I have not seen it above 
4,000 feet elevation. Other localities noted are Galle 
Kegalle, Kandy, Jaffna, Trincomalie, etc. 
73. CHILADES LAIuS, De N., B. and E. Chilades varunana, M, 
