450 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



on the sea coast as in the interior of the country, in the dense jungles 

 as in the open " maidans ". The only places where it is wanting more 

 or less are the sandy wastes in Sind and Rajputaua and this is pro- 

 bably due to the scarcity at certain seasons of its food plants : grasses 

 and rice. In Bombay generally, exclusive of Sind, it is probably the 

 commonest butterfly of the Presidency and in certain jungly locali ■ 

 ties it exists in such numbers in some years as to become a positive 

 nuisance, pouring into the bungalows when the lamps are lit of an 

 evening and covering the walls from floor to ceiling. It has a some- 

 what weak jerky flight and rarely, except in the early mornings or in 

 the evening, stays on the wing more than a few seconds at a time, 

 settling always on the ground, generally sideways with its wings 

 closed as already pointed out. In the monsoon months it may be 

 seen fljing over the rice-fields in the morning and evening : most 

 probably in quest of a mate. 



19. Melanitis veraha, Moore. — Male and female with the costa moie 

 strongly arched than in ismene ; apex and teimen the same. Upperside male is 

 fuliginous-black ; female similar to 31. ismene ; except that the ferruginons or 

 ochraceous markings on the upperside near the apex of forewing are absolutely 

 wanting and the smaller white spots are absent in both sexes. Hindwing 

 uniform without ocelli ; in a few specimens the mere trace of a subterminal 

 ocellus in interspace 2. Underside similar to 3L ismene but the ground-colour 

 darker and the transverse strige not so clear and well defined, the transverse 

 brown fasciae obscure. Exp. 68 -70mm. 



In the dry season the apex is more falcate than in M. ismene. Upperside of 

 male and female as in the wet-monsoon forms except that the terminal margins 

 of both wings are always pale purplish. Females have the ochraceous markings 

 near apex slightly developed. Underside as in M. ismene, very often vinous-red 

 or purplish with large chalky-white spots towards termen, especially of hindwing. 



Larva. — The larva is nearly identical with that of M. ismene. Spiracles very 

 small, oval, brown. Body surface covered by transverse rows of white, coni- 

 cal tubercles, each bearing a white hair or seta there being six such rows to 

 each segment. Colour of larva is bright grass-green washed with yellow with 

 a dark-green dorsal line and a faint yellow lateral and subspiracular line. 

 The colour of the head is blue-green with a white band from base of horn 

 to jaw and a brown line parallel to it and in front of it ; horns themselves 

 reddish-yellow. Some larvae may have the head black, the cheek-stripe black 

 or red-brown with the head green. L. 38ram,; B, 4-5mm. : L. of anal points, 

 4mm. ; of head-horns, 38mm. 



Pupa. — Narrower at head than anywhere else ; segment 7 is the highest 

 point and the broadest. Wings expanded slightly parallel to longitudinal 



