COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 1121 



advantage of any obstacle which is likely to baffle a pursuing 

 enemy. The larger ones, like minos, polymnestor, ddk-slia, &c. keep 

 nearly always to the protection of trees and bushes high up among 

 the tops of the former or much lower down near the ground, skim- 

 ming the verdure of the latter ; others, smaller in size, more rapid 

 in flight, amuse themselves sailing backwards and forwards over 

 the highest trees or round the tops of hills in open country, chasing 

 each other at intervals up into the blue sky to become mere specks 

 in the distance ; and return again to their playground. P. clytia 

 is very fond of this form of amusement. The style of flight is 

 perhaps more varied amongst the Papilios than in any other group : 

 the same insect may sail, hover, dart and skip, though the skipping 

 is only true of the very fast-flying species. They all without 

 exception are fond of flowers ; few of them bask in the sun : when 

 they do so it is with outstretched wings, the upper drawn down 

 to cover a goodly portion of the hinder ones. It is even then 

 perhaps more to rest than to bask that they assume this position. 

 They are very active, keep on the wing for very long periods and 

 always seem to be busy about something. They are all fond of 

 strong bright light and generally rest under leaves of trees in 

 rainy weather with the wings in the same horizontal position. 

 The weakest flier is P. aristolochice, those of the agamemnon group 

 are the strongest. 



These insects always lay their eggs singly, with the exception 

 of P. demotion which deposits them one on top of the other in a 

 stick of as many as 15. As a very general rule they are laid 

 exposed on the top of a leaf or on a young shoot. They are nearly 

 spherical in shape, slightly broader than high (this may be due 

 to the necessarily flattened bottom where the egg rests on the leaf) ; 

 quite smooth on the surface or very minutely pitted ; white, green 

 or orange in colour and sometimes blotched with reddish. In the 

 case of demotion each egg is flattened on both sides where it rests 

 on the one beneath and supports the next. The insect flutters 

 while depositing, resting with its legs and applying the end of 

 the abdomen to the surface. 



The larva emerges by eating a hole through the egg-shell, not 



