NYMPHAHD.E, NYMPH ALIN^. ARGYNNIS. 129 



the length of the second ; the fourth transverse, three-fourths the length of the third ; these 

 joints all armed at the apex with a short spine on each side, not covered at the base by any 

 bunch of hairs or setre situated on the next joint ; fifth joint smaller than the fourth, transverse, 

 unarmed. Middle and hindlegs, with \.]\& feiium and tibUe of about equal length, the 

 latter spined all round ; the lateral spines much the longest ; the spurs very distinct. Tarsi 

 about as long as the tibioe ; all the joints nearly cylindric, spiny all round ; first joint nearly 

 equal to the others combined, the spines below arranged in two alternating series ; second, 

 third and fourth joints progressively shorter ; the fifth longer than the third ; all these witli 

 the spines of the lower surface arranged in two regularly opposed series. Claivs, curved, 

 grooved below. Paronychia, bilaciniate ; the outer lacinia rather slender, tapering, equal 

 to the claw ; inner much shorter- Pulvillus, jointed, nearly equal in length to the claw." 



" LAavA, cylindric, spiny, the spines verticillate ; the prothoracic segment always with 

 at least two spines. Pupa, angular, tuberculate, the head mostly bifid." [Doubleday, 1. c.) 



Like the genera Hestina, Neptis, and Cyrestis, Argynnis is divisible into two groups by 

 the position of the second subcostal nervule of the forewing. The first, which contains all 

 the larger Indian species, has the " second subcostal nervule thrown off before the end of the 

 cell, and the second joint of the palpi mostly much swollen." The second group contains but 

 two species within Indian limits, which are of small size, and in general appearance are very like 

 species of the genus Meliicca. This group has the " second subcostal nervule thrown off beyond 

 the end of the cell, and the second joint of the palpi not remarkably swollen." In the males 

 of some of the Indian species of the first group the two lower median nervules and the 

 submedian nervure are clothed for a portion of their length with modified hairs and scales, 

 this "sexual mark" appearing on different veins in different species. 



The genus is a very extensive one, occurring in both the Old and New Worlds up to 

 the extreme northern limit of vegetation : the great majority of the species belong to the 

 PalDsarctic and Nearctic regions, but a single species is found in the tropics of the Old World, and 

 one is recorded from Jamaica, and several species from Chili and Buenos Ayres in the new. One 

 species, A. Tiiphe, occurs throughout India from the outer ranges of the Himalayas to Ceylon, 

 also in Assam, British Burma, Java, Australia and China. All the rest of the Indian species 

 (except A. rudra which has as yet been found only in the Khasi Hills, and A. childreni which 

 occurs also in the Khasi Hills as well as in the Himalayas) occur only in the Himalayas, some at 

 very great elevations. The species are all *' more or less of a bright fulvous orange, marked 

 with black spots, arranged in transverse bands ; and, below, the same or similar spots are 

 repeated on a rather paler ground, mingled on the hind wing, and at the apex of the forewing 

 with silvery or pearly spots, sometimes also with green ; on the hindwing they are often 

 shining green, splashed with silver. The larvae are always spiny ; the spines set round witii 

 numerous stiff hairs ; the prothoracic segment always has two spines, which sometimes are 

 longer than the others. The general colour is brown or fuscous, with longitudinal bands of 

 either a darker or paler hue. Some are bluish white, with longitudinal fuscous lines ; the 

 spines being brown. The food of most of the species consists of some species of violet, but 

 some feed on the bramble, nettle, some Cnuifem and Fapilionaceie, and also on Anchusa, 

 officinalis and Polygonum bistorta. Lying hid under the leaves the greater part of the day, 

 they are difficult to find. The pup^-e are more or less angulated, constricted across the back, the 

 head often bifid, the abdominal segments furnished with a double row of tubercles on the 

 dorsal surface. They are generally of some shade of brown, often marked with metallic 

 spots. The pup.-e of the spacies composing the second section are rounder at the head, and 

 altogether less angular than those of the first section." (_Djubleday, 1. c.) 



The key below is mainly based on certain structural characters of both sexes, the next 

 division having been made on the colour and markings displayed. The males of the first 

 five species in addition differ from all those which follow in having the " sexual marks" men- 

 tioned above, this feature being absent from all the rest. It is to be noted however in the 

 case of A. niphe that this character is only prominent in specimens from South India 

 (the Nilgiri and Pulni Hills, and Travancore), it being barely traceable in Ceylon specimens 

 or in those from elsewhere. 



•7 



