THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 439 



In mcecenas, the so-called dry-season form, the prominent, silvery band on 

 the underside of the hind wing is wanting, though indicated by scaling. 



The blue on the upperside of the female is very variable both in extent and 

 brilliance on both wings and is occasionally as extensive and as brilliant as 

 in the male. 



Expanse : male, 37 "45 mm ; female, 37'47 mm. 



Egg. — ^In slmpe is a much depressed hemisphere, broadest at the base. 

 The surface is shining and covered with coarse and moderately low-walled, 

 hexagonal cells about 0* 125 mm. in diameter between the walls, these walls 

 themselves being 0'05 mm. in width and rather less in height ; there are four 

 cells from apex to base, not including the micropyle-depression at its bordering 

 wall ; the cells are arranged in very fairly regular transverse rows and there 

 are about 24 round the largest circumference ; the micropyle-depression is 

 rather less in width than a cell-diameter and very deep, the coarse wall around 

 it sometimes deeply pitted with a single circle of small pits or points. The 

 bottoms of the cells are shining, and rather coarsely tuberculate, though distantly 

 so. The colour as seen at the bottoms of the cells is honey-yellow ; the walls, 

 are all enamel-white and the intersections appear to be very slightly raised. 

 B : 1*4 mm. ; H : 0* 75 mm. 



Larva. — Onisciform, somewhat abnormal in slmpe ; segment 2 large, hiding 

 the head , semi-circular in outline, very slightly thicknened along the margin, 

 sloping considerably up from front to hinder margin and with a rather large, 

 square, dorsal depression with a flat bottom and a black, diagonal (to the square) 

 dorsal line across it ; segments 3, 4 progressively larger, broader and higher, 

 5, 6 nearly as broad as 4 and nearly as high, the succeeding segments gradually 

 decreasing in width and height to anal end, the last segments rather suddenly 

 narrower, the extremity square ; the dorsoventral margin slightly flanged, the 

 segments all well-marked; the gland on segment 11 large, trough-shaped with 

 a black mark in the centre, the organs on segment 12 circular-mouthed, protru- 

 ding on occasions a small, white cylinder. The head is round, light yellow in 

 colour, shining, with dark mandibles. The surface is thickly studded with 

 minute tubercles, each bearing a very short, erect, dark bristle or hair, some 

 fine hairs on the ventral surface laterally also. Spiracles rather large, depressed, 

 oval, light in colour. The colour of the body is different shades of green more or 

 less suffused with pink or rose ; a dark, dorsal line ; ventrum light green ; some- 

 times segment 9 is darker than the rest. L : 22 mm. ; B : 8 mm. 



Pupa. — The sMpe is quite normal ; stout, roimded in front and behind, the 

 thorax slightly humped, head hidden mider segment 2, the constriction behind 

 the thorax very slight. Surface slightly shining, minutely rough and covered 

 with minute, erect hairs ; a lateral row of small depressions on abdomen, one 

 to each segment, segments 8 — 11 with a small swelling dorsally. Spiracles 

 raised, oval, rather large, light brown in colour ; that of segment 2 whitish, 

 longly oval, rather large. The colour of the pupa is brown with a pinkish 

 shade and darker brown markings. L : 15 mm. ; B : 7 mm. 



Habits.— The egg is deposited on branches, leaf-buds, &c., always 

 singly. The larva lives on the young shoots and young leaves, 

 boring into the leaf buds and fruits but never living inside them ; 

 there is nothing exceptional about its habits. The pupation takes 

 place on a branch or in the axil of a leaf, &c., and the attachment is 

 normal though the tail-attachment is very strong compared to the 

 band, so that it often seems as if the pupa were attached by the 

 tail only. Ants occasionally are found with the larvae but do not 



