642 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXL 



shoulders : just over 10 mm ; at points of head-points : 7 mm ; H. at apex 

 of ventral curve : 13 mm. 



Habits. — The eggs are laid singi}-, either on the top of the leaf 

 or on the underside and always, it seems, on leaves of a certain 

 age ; sometimes on flower-stalks also. The small larva emerges in 

 the usual waj' and sometimes eats a little of the egg-shell ; then 

 makes a silken nest to lie on near the edge on the upper surface of 

 the leaf; when larger it lies, as is usual with most Fapilio larvse, at 

 the point of the leaf, along the midrib, its head directed towards the 

 stalk ; it rests with the front segments contracted and the head 

 drawn under segment 2, which makes it look very broad and 

 humped about segments 4 and 5. It pupates in the ordinary way 

 after wandering, but it does not ordinarily wander far -, the tail 

 suspension is strong, the body-loop fairlj^ close. As a general rule, 

 it retires high up a tree, often among the flower-stems, and the 

 pupa is always well hidden by overhanging leaves. The imago 

 emerges within 25 days after pupation and is very active, often 

 flying if disturbed before its wings are properly dry. It generally 

 emerges just at day-break. The larvse are commonest in the 

 months of September and October ; in fact it is only at that 

 time of the year that they have ever been found, notwithstanding 

 much seeking in other months. Fully 90 per cent, of the eggs 

 are ichneumoned ; the larvse are much subject to attack from birds, 

 ichneumons, flies, &c. The pupse often die just before the butter- 

 fly emerges. 



This is, perhaps, the finest and most striking of all the butterflies 

 likely to be met with in the Hill Stations of the Bombay or 

 Madras Presidencies above 1,000'. It is not found below that 

 level except very occasionally, neither is it found anj^where in the 

 plains, not even along the borders. It is a denizen of the thickest 

 jungles and frequents the evergreens of the hills south of Bombay 

 city. Its distribution is given as " South India ; Kanara, Mala- 

 bar; Nilgiri Hills" by Eothschild, and Colonel Bingham adds 

 " Travancore." It is plentiful in the District of North Kanara 

 from the sea-shore (the hills come down to the sea in places) 

 inwards, especially so in the monsoon months when, in favour- 

 able places, as manj" as half a dozen may be seen on the wing at 



