THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE NORTH CANARA DISTRICT. 569 



All the larvas of this sub-family lie, when full-grown, on the upper- 

 side of the leaf and, when solitary (some of them are gregarious) 

 along the mid-rib, coating the leaf where they lie with a bed of silk. 

 The eggs are generally laid singly on the upper surface of the leaf or 

 on young shoots ; exceptions to this are Teracohcs amatus, Fabricius ; 

 Appias hippoides, Moore ; and Delias eucJiaris, Drury (this last is 

 aberrant also in that the eggs are laid on the underside of the leaf 

 where the larva? herd together) ; Belenols mesentina, Cramer ; Terias 

 silhetana, Wallace ; which lay their eggs in clusters ; the larvge of these, 

 when young, are gregarious, but generally, when full-grown, separate 

 where the food is plentiful. The egg of the sub-family is spindle- 

 shaped, standing on one end, and is always more or less strongly 

 ridged longitudinally and striated finely transversely ; in colour it is 

 generally pure white, turning to yellow or orange ; that of NycMtona 

 ceiphia, Fabricius, is blue, and that of Hupliina blotched with red. 



With few exceptions, the Pierince are very much alike in the larva 

 state, more alike than the different species of one genus often are 

 among the Nymphalidce. The head is large, the body long and some- 

 what depressed, without excrescences, but rough owing to the presence 

 of minute tubercles discernible generally only with the aid of a lens. 

 The colour is green, with usually a lateral stripe. The genera 

 Catopsilia and Terias feed on leguminous plants, and all the rest, but 

 two or three, on capers. 



139. NycMtona xiphia^ Fabricius. 



This is met with in all parts of the district, flitting about among 

 underwood in shady places. Like many of the Piemice it is absent, 

 or almost so, from June to September. We have bred it on capers. 

 (C Jieyneana, Watt. Cat. ; C. religiosa, Forst.) Both the larva and pupa 

 are very like those of Terias liecabe, Linnasus, but more delicately formed. 

 The larva is green, with a pale glaucous tinge about the bases of the 

 legs, and slightly hairy. The pupa is sometimes green, but oftener of 

 a delicate pink shade. Perhaps in a natural arrangement this species 

 ought to stand next to Terias^ but the imago seems very different, and 

 the resemblance in the larva and pupa states may be superficial. 

 140. Delias eucharis^ Drury. 



This is very common everywhere and at all seasons, except during 

 the two or three months when the rainfall is heaviest. The larva and 



