160 Mr. H, J. Elwes on Delias belladonna. 



ten are female, into three forms ; but until resident collectors 

 have shown us whether these forms breed true to their type, 

 and how far seasonal or climatic influences affect them, I can- 

 not say that they are distinct species. 



With regard to the habits of this species we know little or 

 nothing ; but I am informed by Captain Young that D. 

 sanaca, or more probably D. Horsfeldii, is common in the 

 Kangra valley, 3000 to 4000 ft. (probably its Avestern limit), 

 in April. In Kulu, at 3500 to 4000 ft., a few come out in April 

 and May, and another brood in autumn. He has also taken 

 it as high as 8500 ft. in September ; but this is very unusual. 

 The pupae are grey and yellow and are attached to bare rocks. 



Mr. Otto Moller says of helladorina and its allies, in a 

 letter dated December 7, 1885 : — " I believe them to be all 

 only geographical varieties of one species. Both the form 

 with and without yellow at the anal angle occur together here 

 in Sikkim from 2000 to 9000 ft. I have only two females, 

 one taken at 8000, the other at 9000 ft." 



Mr. De Niceville says, in a letter dated December 1 , 1885 : — 

 " Mr. Butler states in his paper that Donovan's figure repre- 

 sents a male. 1 am of opinion, and Major Marshall concurs 

 with me, that it is far more probably that of a female. The 

 fore wing is broader than is usual among males of this group, 

 and the outer margin of the wing evenly convex ; in nearly 

 all males it is more or less concave ; the stoutness of the 

 abdomen would also probably indicate a female*. 



" In the Indian Museum, Calcutta, are six females of D. bel- 

 ladonna — one from Kulu {Graham Young), omixovii Kotghur, 

 near Simla {De Niceville), one from Simla (ditto), one from 

 Dafla hills, and two without locality. The one from Dafla hills 

 has no yellow whatever on the abdominal margin or at anal 

 angle of hind wing ; the former is sordid white : the Kulu and 

 Kotghur specimens have a good deal of yellow mixed with 

 white; the Simla example has the barest trace of yellow, the 

 abdominalarea being nearly pure white; the two without locality 

 have very large patches of chrome-yellow (in the others tlie 

 yellow is of a more clear gamboge shade) at the anal angle 

 extending to first median interspace. These latter agree best 

 with Donovan's figure, which, however, differs from all speci- 

 mens I have seen in having two distinct well-separated spots 

 on the submedian interspace ; in all yellow-marked specimens 

 there is a large undivided yelloAv streak between the veins 

 from near the middle of the wing to the anal angle. 



* The abdomen figured by Donovan is uulike any specimen I have seen 

 and may not have belonged to the insect. 



