130 NATURAL HISTORY. 



NYMPHALINyE. 



14. Atella phalanta. — This is not rare in Bombay, and one of the 

 commonest species on the hills in March, when people go up for the hot 

 season. I imagine it comes out after the monsoon and continues all 

 through the cold weather. It does not remain so long on the wing in 

 Bombay ; but many species have their season later on the hills than on the 

 plains. The larva of A. phalanta feeds on Flacourtia montana, and is 

 easily found if one knows to look for it, not on the higher branches of the 

 trees, but on the young shoots wbich come up from the roots. The pupa 

 is a lovely object. So is the butterfly when fresh and iridescent. It is 

 one of the most sprightly and characteristic inhal Hants of our hill stations, 

 flitting everywhere from bush to bush and even when it settles moving its 

 wings for ever in the restless way peculiar to it. 



15. Argynnis niphe. — Colonel Swinhoe, in his paper on the Lcpidoptcra 

 of Bombay and the Deccan, published in the proceedings of the Zoological 

 Society of London, Feb. 13, 1885, says that he caught this in Bombay in 

 1877. This is very interesting. I have hunted butterflies for years in 

 Bombay and never saw a specimen of this. I can hardly believe that such 

 a conspicuous insect could have escaped me entirely. But looting over the 

 list I find several other species, of which I am equally positive that they 

 arc not Bombay butterflies, recorded from Bombay in that year, e.g., 

 Colias fieldii and Teracolus dance. The inference is that during the famine 

 year many butterflies wandered, as we know birds did, into regions where 

 they were unknown before. There are specimens of A. niphe in the 

 Society's collection, contributed by Mr. Newnham from Cutch. 



16. Pyramcis cardui. — In Bombay this species breaks out in large 

 numbers at irregular seasons in a way for which I cannot account. It 

 feeds on different species of llumea, which are all monsoon annuals, and 

 might be expected to be very regular in its appearance. The larvae are 

 sociable when very young, half a dozen chumming together under the 

 shelter of a little network of silk. The butterfly is not very easy to catch, 

 being a strong flier and wary. It rarely settles except on the ground, and 

 opens its wings much less than the Junonias. 



17. Junonia lemonias. — Though not rare anywhere, this and the next 

 two arc pre-eminently Bombay butterflies, loving its ditches and well- 

 watered gardens. Orithyia and hierta, on the other hand, like dry 

 situations. In habits, otherwise, they are very much alike, flitting about 

 one spot and basking in the sun all the hottest hours of the day. This 

 species is in season at the close of the rains. 



18. /. aslerie. — Next to T. hemic and D. chrysippus, this is the common- 

 est butterfly in Bombay at the close of the rains and for some time 

 after. It attains in old age to a degree of disrcputability and roggedness 



