﻿50 LEPIDOPTERA INDICA. 



Hindwing short, very broad, somewhat quadrate ; exterior margin scalloped, produced 

 outward below the middle ; costal vein much arched from the base and extending to 

 the apex ; precostal vein distinct, extending parallel with and joined to the costal — 

 thus forming a closed precostal cell — and there throwing off a short bifid spur, 

 towards the costa, immediately before its junction with the costal vein; cell very 

 short ; first and second subcostal bi'anches emitted at about equal distances from 

 upper base of cell ; upper and lower discocellulars outwardly -oblique, each slightly 

 concave, lower discocellular slender, radial from their middle ; two upper median 

 branches emitted from end of the cell, upper bent convexly near its base, lower 

 from one-third before end of the cell ; submedian curved near the base ; internal 

 vein straight, short. Body stout, abdomen short ; palpi ascending, pilose beneath 

 and above at tip of second joint ; second joint very long, extending to a level with 

 vertex, third joint very short, pointed; legs slender, long; antennge long, gradually 

 thickened towards the tip. Eyes naked. Sexes alike. 



Caterpillar. — Cylindrical. Head and anal segment minutely spined, other 

 segments with minute sublatei^al spines ; third to twelfth segment each armed with 

 erect subdorsal rather long branched-spines. 



Chrysalis. — Boat-shaped ; dorsum and thorax arched and somewhat sharply 

 keeled ; wing cases also keeled in front ; head ending in two obtuse points. 

 Suspended perpendicularly. 



Type.— P. Sylvia. 



Habits op Imago. — " All the species of this genus have a very beautiful and 

 characteristic flight, imlike any other butterfly known to me. It is very strong on 

 the wing, and flies over high bushes and trees, and alights on the upperside of the 

 leaves with open wide-spread wings. When flying it keeps the wings very level 

 and parallel with the ground, the tips or apices of the forewings slightly depressed, 

 it flaps the wings but seldom, and is much given to soaring. The Sumatran form 

 (P. liacinus). Dr. Martin says, ' occurs all the year round at low elevations ; it is 

 rare, but is not easy to captiire. It is found not only in high forest, but also in 

 small strips of forest and jungle always accompanying the smaller streams. It is 

 very fond of, and is only found, near water. It was noticed settling in considerable 

 numbers on the flowers of a snow-white lily, covering the banks of the Bedageri 

 River, and a fine series of specimens were captured on the flowers of some male 

 Papaya trees planted at the Batoe Mandi Estate, on the high bank of the Wampoe 

 River'" (L. de Niceville, Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, 1895, p. 414). Mr. W. B. Pryer 

 records the following observations on the N. Bornean species — -" Parthenos sails by 

 a flowering bush, on down-pointed nearly stationary wings, or keeps flying from and 

 to the flowers in small circles, and indulges in frequent flights with its own species" 

 (Ann. Nat. Hist. 1887, 42). 



