200 A NATURALIST IN HIMALAYA 



that mark the stem, the pointed tip that marks the 

 apex, the central band that marks the midrib, and the 

 lines that mark the veining of the leaf. At the tips 

 we see the clear white spot that looks like an insect- 

 boring, and beneath is the profuse and varied mottling 

 such as stains the surface of the fungus-covered 

 leaves. 



But the Kallima must be seen in its natural habitat 

 in order to appreciate the full value of this wonderful 

 protective scheme. We wander through some shady 

 glen where the dense foliage is spread out above and 

 the leaves of the oak are strewn thickly over the 

 ground. Suddenly a brown fluttering object rises up 

 before us. It looks like a withered leaf that has been 

 wafted upward by a gentle breeze. It flutters on. 

 We follow it with the eye. Suddenly a flash of yellow 

 appears and we know it to be a Kallima. On it goes 

 in a swift confusing flight. It darts and dances in the 

 air. Then in an instant it seems to turn on itself; it 

 disappears ; it has alighted head downward on a bush ; 

 its wings have come sharp together and it is trans- 

 formed into a leaf. 



Sometimes in these same haunts we come upon 

 another very similar and equally remarkable form, the 

 Melanitis. It resembles the withered leaves as closely 

 as does the Kallima. Its flight is equally swift and 

 erratic, but there is no patch of yellow on its wings and 

 it never alights on the bushes, but chooses rather the 

 dead leaves that lie strewn about the ground. 



There is no doubt that these two butterflies when 

 seen in their natural habitat make a deep impression 

 on the observant mind. It is not only the close 

 anatomical resemblance between the butterflies and the 



