446 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Notes on Southern Indian Lepldoptcra. 

 By William Watkins. 



I "SVOULD wish, prior to commencing my notes, to explain 

 that the chief reason of ray wishing these papers published, 

 is that English entomologists may become aware of the wide 

 distribution of the species identical with those of our native 

 land; having resided in India a period extending over four 

 seasons (during which lime I have lost no opportunity of 

 collecting and observing the species that occur at the Neilg- 

 herry Hills, Secunderabad and Burmah), I have thought that 

 notes thereon would prove interesting to the "lovers of the 

 net and pin." My first paper will be on captures at the 

 Neilgherries in 1872. 



The Neilgherries are a range of hills running along the 

 south-west of India, and distant from Bombay some two 

 hundred miles; their height at Wellington above the level of 

 the sea is six thousand feet. The climate is remarkably mild, 

 and the seasons much like those of England: during the 

 months of November, December and January it is decidedly 

 cold ; and although we do not get snow in Southern India, 

 still the hills are covered with hoar frost almost every 

 morning during those months. The average mean tempera- 

 ture at Wellington for 1872 was G2^\ Only a very few of the 

 wild plants of England occur here, and I have uever seen 

 trees identical with those we find growing wild at home ; 

 yet almost all English fruits, vegetables and flowers can be 

 cultivated here in great perfection. 



Arriving from Secunderabad in February, 1872, I imme- 

 diately commenced entomological operations, but found that 

 the species most common were only "hybernates :" these 

 were C. Cardui (extremely abundant), V. Atalanta, and 

 V. Orithea (a very beautiful species, in size and markings 

 like Urticae, but with a brilliant blue instead of red band). 

 Amongst the Bombyces, O. potatoria was common in all 

 three stages; the larvte here are not so fastidious as in 

 England, — only eating one particular species of grass, — for 

 they will feed upon almost all our hedgerow-plants; in open 

 glades one could not walk without disturbing the beautiful 

 D. pulchella. Of Noctuae, 1 found commonly, at rest, Dian- 



