282 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCLETY, Vol. XX. 



ground-colour is darker both on the upper and under sides and the orange 

 markings deeper and richer in tint. Dffiers also as follows: — Upperside 

 forewing : the ochraceous red on disc and across cell proportionately of 

 less extent and uniform, not getting paler towards apex of cell ; the upper 

 four spots of the preapical series on the black apical area minute. Hind- 

 wing : the postdiscal transverse band much narrower and shorter, not 

 extending below vein 1, margined inwardly by a series of broad, black, 

 subcrescentic marks ; the tornal angle with a small patch of violet scales 

 bordered inwardly by a short, thick, black, transverse line. Underside very 

 much darker than in V. cardui, the orange-red on disc and cell of forewing 

 restricted as on upperside ; three small, transversely-placed, blue spots 

 beyond the cell. Hindwing : the mottling comparatively very dark, pur- 

 plish black with slender white margins, shaded on disc with rich dark 

 olive-brown ; the postdiscal series of ocelli dark and somewhat obscure ; an 

 inner, subterminal, transverse series of blue and an outer, very much 

 slenderer, transverse series of black lunules. Cilia of both fore and hind- 

 wings white, alternated with brown. Antennee black, tipped with pale 

 ochraceous ; head, thorax and abdomen with dark oli^e-brown pubescence ; 

 beneath, the palpi, thorax and abdomen pale ochraceous brown. JExp. 

 •58-70 mm. 



This butterfly has not been bred as far as is known. It is a very close 

 relation of our English Red Admiral, differing only in the greater irregu- 

 larity of the orange markings on the upperside. It is not really a butterfly 

 that ought to have been mentioned in these papers but, on second thought, 

 it was thought advisable to include it because it has such a wide range in 

 India. It hardly ever occurs in the plains and certainly never breeds 

 there ; it is found generally above 2,000 feet in the hills : the Himalayas, 

 the Nilgiris, &c, but not, as far as has yet been ascertained, anywhere in 

 the Western Ghats from Thana to Kanara in the Bombay Presidency. The 

 butterfly extends to Southern Europe and the Canaries, eastwards to 

 China, Japan and the Malay Peninsula. 



The following is a description of the larva, pupa and habits of the Red 

 Admiral or Vanessa atalanta, which will probably be similar to those of the 

 above. 



Larva. — The larva is of the typical nymphaline sort, all spines of equal 

 length, branched on all segments except head and segment 2, where they 

 are much shorter and simple ; body cylindrical with anal end sloping, the 

 anal flap triangular with somewhat tumid end or point. Segment 12 is 

 somewhat triangularly produced back in the dorsal line. Head heart-shap- 

 ed, flat-faced, somewhat bi-lobed, shiny, bronze-black covered with light 

 hair-bearing ochraceous tubercles ; ten short, cylindrical, blunt, simple 

 spines round margin of face with four more in a row in front ; two slightly 

 larger lower down, subdorsal, one on each side of clypeus apex ; antennal 



