THE COMMON IWrrEliFLlEa OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 437 



from sea-level up to, in the ease of '/,. ma/ia, 9,000' elevation. The known 

 distribution of each species is given under its description. They are all 

 four liable to variation according to season and, in consequence, many 

 varieties have been at ditlerent times wrongly described as good 

 species. At home we have the genus represented by the Small Blue, 

 Z. viiuiinn, the larva of which feeds upon vetches as do those of two of ours, 

 li/stJiion and ofis. The transformations of all fotir are known ; so are those 

 of minima. The caterpilhirs are only fitfully attended by ants though these 

 are generally found on the food-plants. 



135. ZJzera maha, Ko\\a.r.~ Wet-season brood. — Male. Upperside : silvery 

 light blue with a satiny sheen in certain lights. Fore wing : the apical 

 half of the costa narrowly and the terminal margin for varying width 

 fuscous black, bounded outwardly on the latter by an obscure, anteciliary, 

 black line. Hind wing: the costa broadly, the termen somewhat more nar- 

 rowly fuscous black than in the fore wing, with the width of this dark 

 edging similarly variable ; in addition there is a very diffuse and ill-defined 

 subterniinal series of spots darker than the fuscous margin. L'ndeisidc : 

 brownish-grey. Fore wing : a spot in cell, a transverse lunulo on the 

 discocellulars, and a transverse, anteriorly inwardly curved series of eight 

 discal spots (which nuiy be very irregularly placed) black ; the transverse 

 lunulo and each spot encircled with a narrow, white edging : the posterior 

 two spots of the discal series geminate. Beyond these are a postdiscal and 

 a sul terminal series of eliort, transverse, dusky-black spots followed by an 

 anteciliary black line; the ground-colour between the discal and postdiscal 

 series and between the latter and the subterminal series of spots posteriorly 

 paler than on the rest of the wing. Hind wing : a transverse, subbasal. 

 slightly sinuate line of four spots, a short slender, lunular line on the 

 discocellulars, and a very strongly curved discal series of eight small spots, 

 black ; the lunule and each spot encircled wibh a narrow edging of white ; 

 the posterior two spots of the discal series geminate as on the fore wing ; 

 beyond these, as on the fore wing, there is a double line of dusky spots, 

 only more lunular with, between them and between the discal and postdiscal 

 series, the ground-colour in the same way outwards slightly paler ; an 

 anteciliary, fine, black line. Cilia of both fore and hind wings whitey-brown 

 darker anteriorlj' on the forewing. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen 

 dark-brown, shafts of the antennte ringed with white, club tipped with 

 whitish ; in fresh specimens the thorax and abdomen with a little light blue 

 pubescence ; beneath : palpi ; thorax and abdomen white. — Female. L'pperside : 

 brownish-black ; the basal halves of the wings slightly suffused with light 

 blue, anteciliary black lines on both fore and hind wings, and on the latter 

 wing an obscure, subterniinal series of spots as in the male. Underside : 

 similar, only the grouud-colour darker, the markings larger and more 

 clearly defined. Antennte, head, thorax and abdomen as in the male, 

 but with no blue pubescence on the thorax and abdomen on the upperside. 



Bri/season brood. — Male. Upperside : pale bluish-grey with, in some 

 pecimens, a pinkish undertone. Fore wing: as in the wet-season brood, 

 but the black, terminal edging much reduced in width in some specimens to 

 a transverse, somewhat diffuse, very narrow band that borders the anteci- 

 liary, black line on the inner side, in others to a much broader similar band 

 that coalesces with the anteciliary black line and occupies about the outer 

 sixth of the wing. This edging along the termen is sometimes even : some- 

 times it widens from a slender, anteciliary line at and above the tornus to a 

 broad, black patch at the apex of the wing Hind wing : the terminal, 

 black edging much narrower proportionately than in wet-season specimens, 

 most often reduced to a slender, black, anteciliary lino with a series of black 

 spots on the inner side, bordering and sometimes coalescing with the line. 



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