M r. H. J. Elwes on Delias belladonna. 15^ 



Of this I have seven males, taken hy my native collector in 

 the interior of Sikkim, which are very black and represent 

 ithiela of Butler ; four of them have no yellow at all on the 

 upper surface, three have more or less on both surfaces of the 

 anal angle of the hind wings. 



Three males from Nepal, bought out of a large collection 

 sent from Khatmandu, which agree with Gray's plate ; also 

 one specimen from Wilson's Darjiling collection, and one from 

 the Abbe David, which come next and agree fairly in the 

 amount of yellow on the liind wing. One from Nepal which 

 has the least yellow comes very near that specimen of ithiela 

 which has the most ; but, like the Moupin and one other Nepal 

 and one Sikkim specimen, these four are much browner in 

 tint than the first seven specimens. 



Four females from Wilson's Sikkim collection which may 

 belong to the black ithiela, but are much nearer in tint to the 

 browner Nepal and Mou))in specimens. These agree in the 

 shape of the fore wing, which is broader than in the males, 

 but differ in the colour of the abdominal margin, which in one 

 specimen is all black like the male ithiela^ in one has a shade 

 of yellow like some specimens of the same, and in the other 

 two has more or less white on the upper surface, but is 

 yellow like the others beneath. 



Then I have six males and live females from the Mandra 

 plateau, 8500 feet high, in Kulu, taken Sept. 3rd, and three 

 males from Hocking's Kangra collection, which agree very 

 fairly in general character, having more white on the wings 

 than the Sikkim and Nepal specimens, and in the male an 

 almost uniform amount of yellow on the abdominal margin. 

 The females, which agree in having broader fore wings, are 

 yellowish white or white on the abdominal m.irgin. The 

 palest of them differs little from the darkest of 



Delias sanaca, Moore, Cat. Lep. E, I. Co. Mus. p. 79 (1857) ; 

 P. Z. S. 1857, pi. xliv. %. 4, 



of which I have two males from Gurwhal [Lidderdale) 

 and two males and one female from Simla {Marshall) , taken 

 in May. All these differ more or less, but agree in being 

 generally paler than the Kulu specimens, which, again, are 

 paler than those from Nepal, which are paler than the extreme 

 black Sikkim males. 



It seems as though some influence affected the coloration 

 of the group, which is strongest in the warm damp climate of 

 Sikkim, and becomes gradually fainter towards the north- 

 west. 



I could separate all these thirty-five si)ecimens, of which 



