COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 305 



the band black with a conspicuous yellow subapical spot in interspace 

 5 and a paler ill-defined, similar spot above it in interspace 6 ; posteriorly 

 the black area is produced narrowly to the tornus and encircles a yellow 

 spot near apex of interspace 2. Hindwing: a transverse, sinuous, very 

 slender black line followed by a slender, somewhat lunular line, a transverse 

 discal series of five black spots in interspaces 2 to 6, a postdiscal medially 

 disjointed series of broad black lunules, a subterminal series of similar but 

 straighter lunules, and a narrow terminal black band. The outer subbasal 

 transverse line broadens at the costa and is outwardly margined by pale 

 spots in the interspaces, these are anteriorly white, well defined, posterior- 

 ly obscure and often absent. Underside much paler, the discal band on the 

 forewing also much paler ; the black on the apical area replaced by pale 

 brownish-ochreous ; some obscure marking in cell of both fore and hind- 

 wings. Forewing : a discal, transverse, slender, chestnut-brown, lunular 

 line, bent inwards above vein 5 and bordered outwardly by a series of dark 

 spots ; the large black spot in interspace 1 as on the upperside and the 

 inner and outer transverse subterminal series of small, dentate spots. 

 Hindwing : some indistinct cellular markings ; the outer subbasal, dark, 

 transverse line as on the upperside but more clearly defined, very sinuous ; 

 a transverse discal series of uneven lunules, paler than the ground-colour, 

 followed by a series of dark spots, a postdiscal, very obscure, pale lunular 

 band and a subterminal series of dentate, dark spots which are often 

 obscure or obsolescent. Antennse, head, thorax and abdomen ochraceous 

 brown ; beneath, the palpi, thorax and abdomen very pale ochraceous 

 white. Exp. 58-74 mm. 



The above description is that of typical Cupha erymanthis, Drury, of 

 which C. placida is merely a race. There seem to be certain constant 

 differences however ; as for example, on the upperside, the discal band on 

 the forewing in C. placida is distinctly darker yellow and its margins much 

 less irregular, the black line defining the inner margin more slender ; the 

 spots on the band in interspaces 1, 2, 3 much smaller, especially the first, 

 which is no smaller than the rest and diffuse ; the subapical yellow spots 

 are entirely wanting or very indistinct. On the hindwing the outer sub- 

 basal line with outer border of pale spots generally more clearly defined. 

 Both wings shaded at base with olivaceous brown. Underside markings 

 more heavily defined than in C. erymanthis. 



C. erymanthis is " from along the foot of the Himalayas and up to 5,000 

 feet from Mussooree to Sikkim ; hills of Assam ; Burma ; Tenasserim ; the 

 Nicobars ; extending to China and the Malayan Sub-region ; Andamans." 



C. placida, Moore, exists in South India and Ceylon. 



The transformations of typical C. erymanthis have not been observed as 

 far as is known. Those of the race placida are as under : — 



Larva. — Like that of Atella phalantha except that the spines are some- 



