ASi JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol, XIV. 



has been that both forma are more or less concurrent and may be taken 

 together, sparingly just before and very commonly during and after the rains. 

 The species is very crepuscular in its habits, seldom or never coming out be- 

 fore dusk, I have often noticed, late in the evening, swarms of them flying 

 round the roots and trunks of peepul {Ficus religiosa) trees, 

 12. Melanitis asw^a, Moore. 



By no means so common as the last but not rare. I have only taken it 

 during the rains, never in the drier months. Among scores of Melanitis 

 netted in October and November there has not been a single M. aswa — all 

 have been M. leda or ismene. 



Sub-Family — Acr^in^. 

 13. Telchinia viol^, Fabricius. 



This butterfly simply swarms here in some years whereas in others it is 

 comparatively rare. It does not, as a rule, make its appearance till the 

 rains are over, and then continues flying well on into the cold weather. 

 Common as it is, I have not yet found the larva which, however, has already 

 been described in the " Butterflies of India, &c." 



Sub-Family — Nymphalin^. 



The butterflies of this sub-family form a marked feature of the district 

 Ehopalocera, as, though the species number only 19, individuals are numerous 

 It is essentially a monsoon and cold weather sub-family ; I do not remember 

 ever having seen a single representative of it during the hot months of the 

 year. 



14. Ergolis merione. Cramer. 



This species is not common in the district, and in the course of three years 

 collecting, I have seen only two — both in October when the rains were well 

 over. Both were of the variety " tapestrina " described by Mr. de Niceville 

 as an occasional aberration or sport. My own notes on the species, taken in 

 places where it is common, go to show that both forms merione and taj^estrina 

 are equally abundant, the former predominating during the rains and the 

 latter in the drier months. I have not discovered the larva in the Lucknow 

 district, but have often reared it where the species is common. The follow- 

 ing is the description noted by me of Rajahmundry (East Coast) specimens. 

 Larva. — About 1" long, cylindrical, green with a double pencilled line of 

 lighter green along back, sides shaded darker green. Head tesselated black 

 and white, provided with two branched spines. Each segment of body with 

 six similar spines, the anal having two only. Feeds on the castor-oil plant 

 (Ricinus communis). Pupa. — Attached to leaf, angular, black or greyish black 

 with yellowish markings, abdominal portion ringed black and yellow. 



15. Atella phalanta, Drury. 



Very abundant in Lucknow from August to October, less so during the 

 cold weather months till February when it finally disappears. May be seen 

 in swarms round the flowers of the Duranta which the species seems specially 

 to aflect. 



