PAPILIO IX. 



low excepting a lateral patch near the extremity ; legs, palpi, and antennae 

 bkick. 



Female. — Expands 3 to 3.5 inches. 



Similar to the male in color and markings ; the submarginal spots of seconda- 

 ries below more or less orange-tinted ; but in some examples the orange is con- 

 fined to the two extreme spots, as in the male. 



This species is as yet exceedingly rare in collections. Mr. James Ridings 

 bron<'ht from Colorado, in 1864, two males, one of which came into my posses- 

 sion and is figured on the Plate, and the other was described by Mr. Reakirt, 

 and is in the collection of the Entomological Society, at Philadelphia. Two 

 females were taken by Mr. J. Duncan Putnam, in Clear Creek Caiion, above 

 Golden City, Colorado, in 1872, and one of these has been kindly loaned me for 

 illustration. The other is figured in the proceedings of the Davenport Academy, 

 and seems to have had no tail whatever, — merely a dentation a little more 

 prominent than elsewhere. In the collection of Mr. Henry Edwards is a female 

 taken in Tuolumne County, on the rim of the Yo Semite Valley, and a male 

 found on Mount St. Helena, in Napa County. These were the only examples 

 known to us at the beginning of 1877. Mr. Edwards wrote me in Jul^^, as fol- 

 lows : " I went up to the Sierras on 9th July and stopped at the Summit Station, 

 7,200 feet above the sea. The second day after my arrival I saw, close to the 

 house, an Indra on the wing, and the next day I climbed to the top of one of 

 the highest peaks in the region, that is, to an altitude of 8,000 or 8,200 feet. 

 Sporting about on the top of this peak, the plateau being about thirty yards by 

 ten in area, were three grand Indra. But the wind was blowing fearfidly, and 

 they were constantly chased by Vanessas Cardui and Carye, and it was utterly 

 impossible for me to catch one of them. They were very wild and over the 

 edge of the cliff, which was quite precipitous, in a moment, forbidding the least 

 approach. I had to go home the next day and had no chance to repeat my 

 search." 



After the plate of Indra was drawn, I received from Mr. Edwards a fine pair 

 of this species, and as the female was larger than the example figured I regret- 

 ted my inability to have given it also. Mr. Edwards writes : " Among some 

 insects which were collected by a young friend of mine, Hermann Dwindle, who 

 died here a few weeks asjo, and who desired that the whole of his collection 

 should be sent to me, I find several specimens of Indra, taken by him in Shasta 

 County, in July of the present year." Mr. Edwards adds : "There is no doubt 

 that the Coast Range of California is tlie home of Indra, and that all examples 



