THE BUTTERFLIES OF CEYLON 131 
obsolete, and the discal band almost so. I took it at Anuradha- 
pura in company with normal specimens. 
It is not so plentiful as pseudomesa at Haldummulla, but 
is very abundant in the Galle District. I have also taken 
it at Anuradhapura, Vavuniya and Mannar. 
218. HALPE CEYLONICA. 
218a. HALPE EGENA, E. Halpe brunnea, M. 
Halpe egena is restricted to Ceylon. 4H. ceylonica is also 
found in Southern India. 
According to Moore, who described brunnea (=egena) from 
a single female specimen, the chief distinction between it and 
cevlonica lies in the ground colour, which is “ dark vinous 
brown” in brunnea, and “ dark brown, base of wings and 
body olive-brown,”’ in ceylonica. | 
Elwes and Edwards distinguish them by the discal band 
on the under side of the hind wing, which is brownish-yellow 
and very indistinct, in egena, and yellowish-white, and clearly 
defined, in ceylonica. The colour of the discal band is usually 
as they state, but it varies greatly in definition, and I have 
specimens of ceylonica in which it is so diffuse as to be almost 
indistinguishable. My experience is that the ground colour 
is the only reliable test. In the specimen of egena described 
by Moore the discal band was evidently exceptionally indis- 
tinct. As a rule, the spots on the fore wing are larger in 
ceylonica, but they vary much in size in both. In ceylomica 3 
the pre-apical spots vary from I to 3 in number, but the discal 
spots vary only in size. I have a specimen of egena 3 with 
the wing entirely unspotted. The spot in the cell is rarely 
present in egena g, and rarely absent in ceylonica g. I can 
perceive no difference whatever in the prehensores. See Plate 
5, figs. 33 and 34. In Indian forms of Halpe, local races are, 
in my experience, more easily distinguished by the prehensores 
than by external features. 
The females are much rarer than the males, and 
the material at my disposal is rather limited. Apart from 
the ground colour, the chief difference between them seems 
to be the spots in interspace 1 of the fore wing. Ihave so far 
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