THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 443 



gets up when disturbed, flies a short distance and then suddenly 

 drops amongst the foliage. It frequents jungles where the rainfall 

 is heavy and the country hilly and does not extend into the jjlains 

 or dry places ; it likes the sun, but does not bask ; neither is it commonly 

 to be found feeding at flowers or drinking water on the ground, 

 it rests with the wings closed over the back and generally on an erect 

 shoot, t^\-ig or stem ; it is sluggish in getting up. The distribution 

 is that given for the genus. It is plentiful on the Western Ghats 

 from sea-level up to 2,000 feet in the Kanara and Belgaum Districts 

 of Bombav. 



20. Genus — ^Mahathala. 



There is only one species, ameria, which constitutes this genus. It is 

 characterised by having a spatulate tail to the hindwing, the outer margin 

 of the hind wing being much lengthened and the costal margin very short and 

 excised so that the apex is a regular point or tooth. Otherwise it is very like 

 an Arhoimla in general ajipearance and in the markings of the underside. It 

 is not a common butterfly anywhere. Its life history is unknown. 



165. Mahathala ameria, Hewitson. — Male. Upperside: dark, dull purple. 

 Fore wing with the costal and outer marginal bands narrowly black but not 

 prominently so; broader on the outer margin than on the costa, broadest at apex. 

 Hind wing with a broader, inconspicuous, black band from the base along 

 the costa, where it is broadest and round the outer margin evenly to the anal 

 angle ; tail at the end of vein 2 black, rather long, broad, spatulate, scalloped 

 on each side so as to form a short, tooth-like j)rojection. Underside : fore wing 

 with the upper half suffused with rufous-brown, the apex smeared with whitish, 

 the lower half of the wing pale greyish-brown ; a broad bar across the middle 

 of the cell and another across the end formed by their white edgings, an irregu- 

 larly angled spot edged with white below the end of the cell, a broad, discal 

 band of conjoined spots from the costa to vein 2, edged with whitish, commencing 

 from the costa in an outward curve, then nearly straight do^Vn ; indications of 

 a submarginal series of indistinct, brown, lunular marks. Hind wing with the 

 entire surface, except the middle and upper marks, smeared with whitish scales, 

 the basal area irregularly spotted with brown; a very irregular, narrow, brown, 

 outwardly curved band ending in a large, brown spot below the costa near 

 apex, joined to a smaller brown spot on each side of it ; a discal band, mostty 

 smeared Avith whitish, with an outward, even curve, edged on both sides by a 

 brown, angulated line which is broad at the abdominal margin, gradually 

 narrowing upwards ; a subterminal row of indistinct, small, brown spots capped 

 with darker brown lunules ; all these markings often indistinct. Cilia of both 

 wings black. Female. — Like the male above and below except that the inner 

 area of both wings above is generally much duller in colour which is often 

 more restricted. Antennse black ; palpi black above and below with the head 

 and body throughout concolorous with the wings. Expanse : 37 mm. to 

 45 mm. 



Egg, larva., pupa. — ^Unknown. 



Hahits. — The insect is said to be nowhere common but as it occurs 

 in such places as Calcutta, it has been entered in these papers. The 

 habitat is Northern India, Siam, Hainan, China, Barrackpur, Mergius, 

 Assam, Perak, Calcutta, Goalpara, Sibsagar, Chittagong hill tracts. 



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