NOTES. 215 
28. On some Butterflies of the Horton Plains.—At the time of my 
visit (in the middle of May) butterflies were neither abundant in 
unmbers or variety. The commonest species in the jungle paths 
were Lethe daretis, Cyaniris lanka, and C. singalensis. I was 
somewhat surprised to find at this elevation (between 6,000 and 
7,000 ft.) two species that are usually associated with the low- 
country and the lower montane regions. I caught a single example 
of Nepherona ceylanica in the resthouse garden, and found Y pthima 
ceylonica frequenting the edges of the jungle. Ypthima singala, 
which usually replaces ceylonica in the higher hills, was conspicuous 
by its absence. Similarly, the typical up-country forms of Terias, 
venata, and libythea were not seen, though hecabe was on the wing. 
EK. ERNEST GREEN. 
29. On an interesting aberration of <‘‘ Vanessa (Pyrameis) 
indica.” *—A curious aberration of this usually very constant 
butterfly has occurred amongst examples bred at Peradeniya, 
presumably consequent upon a stimulus induced by a sudden change 
of temperature. This butterfly is a distinctly montane species, 
seldom, if ever, occurring spontaneously below 3,000 ft. in Ceylon, 
but more frequent at still higher elevations. In India the species is 
said to range from 2,000 ft. upwards, but to be found more commonly 
at and above 4,000 ft. 
The food plant of Vanessa indica is Girardinia heterophylla vav. 
palmata. According to Trimen, typical heterophylla is common on 
waste land in the low-country up to 3,000 ft., above which elevation 
it is replaced by its variety palmata, which differs from the type form 
principally in having the leaves. hirsute beneath. From its distri- 
bution V. indica appears to be restricted to the higher montane 
variety of Girardima heterophylla. 
In May last I received from Major A. J. MacDougall some pup 
of V. indica collected at Diyatalawa (4,300 ft.), together with a 
single full-fed larva. The pupz all disclosed butterflies of the 
typical pattern, but the single larva, after pupating in the warmer 
climate of Peradeniya (1,500 ft.), appeared in a strikingly different 
form. . 


* Since the preparation of my note on an aberration of Vanessa indica, I 
have seen a description and coloured figure of what must be a closely similar 
aberration from Southern India. This account is in a paper by Mr. P. J. 
Lathy, ‘‘ On some aberrations of Lepidoptera from the collection of Herbert 
J. Adams” (Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1904, p. 65). The locality quoted 
is merely ‘‘ Travancore, S. India.’’ The circumstances of the capture are 
not given, nor the altitude at which it was taken. It would be interesting 
to know whether this specimen was caught on the wing, or whether (like my 
examples) it had been bred from larve taken at a higher elevation.—E. E. G. 
