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Show 418 MR. L. DE NICEVILLE ON NEW OR [May 3, 5. Descriptions of some new or little-known Butterflies India, with some Notes on the Seasonal Dimorphism obtaining in the Genus Melanitis. By LIONEL DE NICEVILLE, F.E.S. [Received May 3, 1887.] (Plates XXXIX. & XL.) LETHE NICETELLA, n. sp. (Plate XXXIX. fig. 5, 3 •) Hab. Sikkim. Expanse. 3 2 1"8 to 2 inches. M A L E . U P P E R S I D E : both wings brown, with a brilliant golden-bronzy sheen when fresh, the outer margins with a regular band of the ground-colour devoid of this gloss. Fore wing with a short obscure ochreous subapical fascia at the bifurcation of the fourth and fifth subcostal nervules. Hind wing with a submarginal series of five round black spots with pale outer rings, of which the second from the apex is the largest, the uppermost and the fourth subequal, and the next largest, the third the smallest, though but little smaller than the fifth or anal. U N D E R S I D E : both wings paler than above. Fore wing with an obscure dark bar across the middle of the cell, an oblique discal band beyond the cell, prominent at tbe costa, becoming obsolete towards the anal angle, beyond this band the groundcolour is abruptly paler; the subapical fascia as on the upperside, but more extended violet-white ; two marginal fine dark lines enclosing a line of the ground-colour, the inner one defined with a somewhat coarser pale line, all these lines extending from the second median nervule to the apex. Hind wing with two basal and two discal highly irregular violet lines, the one furthest from the base with an irregular dark brown fascia placed outwardly against it; the discocellular nervules defined on both sides with a fine violet line; a submarginal series of six ocelli, the first, second (usually), fifth, and geminated sixth composed of a black centre with a pure white pupil, an ochreous, a dark brown, and an outer violet ring.; the second (occasionally), third, and fourth ocelli composed of a small dark brown centre with a violet pupil, a violet, a dark brown, and an outer violet ring; marginal lines as in the fore wing, but the innermost line violet, very prominent towards the anal angle. Cilia cinereous, dark brown at the ends of the veins.-FEMALE. U P P E R - SIDE : both wings paler. Fore wing with the discal band of the underside showing through. U N D E R S I D E : both wings also paler. L. nicetella may be known from L. nicetas, Hewitson, from Kulu and Sikkim, on the underside of the fore wing in both sexes by not possessing three small subapical ocelli divided by the discoidal nervules, and in the discal band being much less prominent (in L. nicetas it is broadly outwardly defined with ochreous) ; in the hind wing in having at least two and often three of the ocelli with small dark brown instead of deep black centres (in L. nicetas all the ocelli are |
