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



extremity and dorsally ; ventral line of wings convex from segment 8, thence 

 to anal end, straight. Spiracular stigma of segment 2 hardly apparent ; rest 

 of spiracles oval, not particularly small, nearly the same colour as the body, 

 with a central, raised, light brown slit. Surface of pupa dull, irregularly 

 transversely aciculate-lined on abdomen. Colour of the body is a dark 

 olive-green ; apex of thorax shortly yellow ; a green-black, dorsal, trian- 

 gular patch on segment 9 ; the dorsal edges of wings as well as the lateral 

 margins of segments 1 and 2, the centre of front dorsal slope of thoracic 

 pyramid and a broad dorsal abdominal band speckled densely very light 

 green ; antennse whitish. L : 18 mm. ; B at segment 6 — 7 : 7 mm. ; at shoul- 

 ders : 6 mm. ; H. at apex of thorax : 5 mm. 



Habits. — -The egg is generally laid on the upper side of a leaf; 

 the larva lives on the upper side, making a slight bed of silk, at 

 first anywhere, afterwards in the centre along the midrib ; it eats 

 much, grows fast and is very active ; it lies full stretched with 

 the horns held straight out in front which means that the face is 

 bowed down and applied to the leaf-surface. It wriggles when 

 touched roughly, but does not, as a rule, leave its resting place. It 

 walks fast, moving its head from side to side, spinning silk as it 

 goes. The pupa is formed from the underside of a leaf or from a 

 twig and hangs perpendicularly down or at an angle, as it is rigidly 

 fixed to the' pad of silk woven for the purpose by the copious sus- 

 pensory hooklets ; it also wriggles from side to side when touched 

 and will stay bent from segments 9 and 10 for a long period after 

 being disturbed. The butterfly is a weak flier and keeps generally 

 to a circumscribed area in the vicinity of its food-plant ; it flies for 

 a short distance at a time only, always low down near the ground 

 within easy reach of a net and is easily captured ; the style of 

 flight is a series of ups and downs with the wings held horizontally 

 open between each ; it basks with them thus held open, though it 

 rests with them closed in rainy weather and at nights. The in- i 

 sect is common everywhere throughout India in the plains and in i 

 the hills, in the open country and in the jungles wherever the i; 

 food-plant of the larva is to be found. This plant is a creeper of 

 the family Uwphorbiacece, called Tragia involucrata, L. ; the larva also 

 feeds upon Tragia cannabina, L., both with nettle-like leaves cover- i; 

 ed with little urticating hairs which are not always comfortable to 

 touch. The former is more or less confined to regions of heavy 

 rainfall and the hills, while the latter grows in the drier parts of 



