COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 643 



B. Uppei-side of male black, both wings without the 

 postdiscal series of spots ; of female tawny 



(mimics D. chrysippus) Exp. 2'7f)" — 3"6" misippus. 



Both these species occur throughout India in the hills and in the 

 plains and the male of the first cannot fail to attract attention by- 

 reason of the brilliant dark-blue reflections on the disc of the wings 

 and its habit of restino- on low shrubs in the sun. Tlie females are 

 larger and have much less blue on their wings which, consequently 

 perhaps, they expose much less ; they may generally be seen flying 

 close to the ground or walking about on the earth for the purpose of 

 depositing their eggs upon the low-growing Acanthacece which come 

 up so plentifully everywhere in India after the slightest fall of rain. 

 The females often fly into the verandahs of bungalows and settle on 

 the rafters with their wings closed. II. misippus is somewhat 

 " wilder" than the other although it is perhaps the more abundant 

 in cultivated country. Its female mimics Danais clmjsippus and has 

 a form, like the variety D. dorippus, without the white apical band to 

 the forewing. While the foodplants of JJ. holina are acanthaceous, 

 the larva of //. misippus feeds upon PoHulava oleracea, the " Common 

 Purslane " of England, cultivated as a vegetable in India as well as 

 in other paiis of the world and commonly growing wild too. The 

 larvse and pupse of the two species are very similar, the former 



spined and horned. 



Genus— KALLIMA. 



Only one species. Exp. 3*3" — 4'75" Iwrsfieldii. 



This is the Leaf Butterfly. It is a hill species but will be found in 

 Thana, at Matheran and Mahableshwar. 



There is a "Red Kallima " found in the hills of Southern India 

 (also in the Himalayas) the name of which is DoleschaUia htsaltide 

 which may possibly turn up at Matheran or Mahableshwar. It has 

 the wings shaped as in Kallima, but the upperside is tawny instead 

 of green, there is a narrow black preapical band instead of the white 

 one and the apex is black ; the underside has the fascia from apex of 

 forewing to the tornal angle of hind wing. It has no very pronounc- 

 ed seasonal diA'crence of form. 



Genus— CETHOSIA. 

 A. A few or no black spots in interspaces beyond apex 

 of cell on upperside of hindwing. Exp. 3"55" — 



3'9" cijane, 



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