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THE BUTTERFLIES OF CHITRAL. 



By Major G. A. Leslie, R.E., and Lieutenant W. H. Evans, E.E. 



So far, we believe, nothing has ever been written on the butterflies of 

 Chitral, and it is in this belief that we are encouraged to place on record the 

 results of two seasons' butterfly-catching in a remote and comparatively 

 unknown country. It must, however, be understood that our opportunities 

 of wielding the net have been limited to short and hurried tours on duty, 

 and to occasional spells of a few days' leave, and that our native assistants, 

 when first entered to the art of butterfly-catching, were firmly convinced 

 that the country held only four distinct varieties. Some idea of the extent 

 of the country contained in Chitral territory may be gained from the fact 

 that the main valley, from the source of the Yarkhun river to the Afghan 

 boundary at Arnawai, is some 220 miles in length, and varies in altitude from 

 about 12,000 to 4,000 feet above sea level. Leaving out of count the number- 

 less smaller valleys that feed the main stream, it has on its right bank two 

 great valleys of from 50 to 60 miles in length, running up to passes on the 

 Hindu Khush of from 15,000 to 17,000 feet in altitude, and on its left bank 

 four valleys of over 20 miles in length, and rising to passes of from 16,000 

 to 17,000 feet in altitude. The hills and valleys below Chitral are mostly 

 covered with pine and deodar forests and are thick with undergrowth and 

 wild flowers ; those above Chitral are practically bare except for the fertile 

 and richly-cultivated " fans " which occur at intervals like oases in a desert. 

 Two years' experience has shown that many of the smaller valleys alone hold 

 specimens peculiar to themselves and that at some of the higher altitudes, 

 such as the Shandur Plateau, butterfly life flourishes only for two months in 

 the year. When in addition it must be confessed that net and collecting box 

 have never seen three-quarters of the country being dealt with, we hope to 

 be forgiven for our temerity in writing on " the butterflies of Chitral." We 

 only trust that the list of our catches, which contains many common, some 

 rare, and some quite new varieties, may encourage some keen collector, with 

 nothing to occupy him but the all-absorbing pursuit of Nature's most beautiful 

 creations, to venture into the far-off wilds of Chitral and to complete a record 

 of which this list can hope to be no more than a foundation. 



The late Mr. De Niceville was engaged in the work of identifying our 

 butterflies just before his death in December 1901 . He was very interested 

 in the specimens we had sent him, and took a great deal of trouble in naming 

 them. There are, we fear, a great many without names, which Mr. De Nice- 

 ville had never seen and we are in hopes that this list may catch the eye of 

 some specialist either in India or England, Avho could complete the work 

 of identification, 



FAMILY— NYMPHALID^. 



Sub-Family — Danain^. 

 I. Danais limniace, Cramer, 

 Only one battered specimen caught at Nagar, 4,000 feet, on August 2nd, 1901. 



