COM HON BUTTERFLIES OF Til /. PLA ISS OF INDIA . 859 



althongh, perhaps, it is the comtnoner of the two. It f.ies also in the 

 same manner, though somewlat stronger on the wing and rests in the 

 riun with the whole of the upperside visihie ; it closes the wings over 

 the back when it wishes to hide or during rain, or when it retiies lor 

 the night. The insect is found throughout the whole of Continental 

 India and Oeylon : in Assam, Burma and Tonar,serim, and extends to 

 China and the Malay.m subregion. Its foodplants are various species 

 of Lecfuminosa, Tiliacew, MalracecF, botanical families coniaining 

 Vetches, our English Lime-tree or Linden, and the Mallows respec- 

 tively. Generally the larva has lieen found on Culista, Flemingia, 

 Mucuna, Xylia of the first family ; Grewia, Triumietia and CorJiorus 

 of the second and Borrbax of the third. Tlie family Stercuiiacete 

 gives another genus, namely Helicteres and the OUaceie still another 

 Maf>i>ia fwiida. So there is no lack of foodplants. aid no reason why 

 the insects should be limited in its area of distribution. 



40. Neptis columella, Cntmer.—MaAe and female uppersiile black with 

 white markings. Forewing: discoidal streak, widening towaids apex ; notched 

 preapically on the anterior maigin ai^d obliquely truncate at apex spot 

 beyond laige, broadly triangular, well separated ; discal spots in paiis, varying 

 in size, spot of this series in interspace \a always elongate ; spots in transverse 

 postdiscal senes obscure, not all well defined, inaigined on both s.des with 

 deeper black than that of the ground-colour ; the space between the series 

 and ihe discal spots and also the terminal margin beyond it with obscure 

 transver-se pale markings. Hindwing: costal margin bioadly greyish- brown ; 

 subbasal band not extending to costa, of varying widih ; discal and subteiminal 

 pale transverse lines, the space between them darker than the ground-colour, 

 travelled by a prominent postdiscal series of spots of varying srze. Cilia white 

 alternating with black, itulerside ferruginous brown ; white maikiiigh as on the 

 upperside bat broader : the pale marking between the discal and postdiscal 

 series of spots, the subteiminal maikings on the uppeiside of the foiewing 

 and the discal and subtenninal pale lines on the uppeiside of the hind- 

 wing represented by pale lunular tiansveise whitish maikings. The costal 

 margin of the hindwing above vein 8 very broad, especially in the female. 

 Antennae dark brown to black ; head, thorax and abdomen daik biownish 

 black; beneath white. The dru sp.ason formh&s the white markings gcneially 

 bioader and the ground-colour of the undeiside brighter. Exp. Gi.-7:".mm. 



This Septia has not been bred, though it was once, it is thought, seen laying 

 eggs on a creeper of the genus Dalbergia. 



f/ahtts.—There is nothing to distinguish the imago i'romlVejjtis jumbah 

 m the general habits though it is much more of a jungle insect than that 

 species. It exists in Western and Southern India and is recorded from 



