THE COMMON BUTTERFLIES OF THE PLAINS 01 INDIA. 2] 7 



those resting with wings closed over their backs, connected by the Hesperiince 

 which occasionally rest with wings in abnormal positions ; as, in Gomalia and 

 Thanaos, where the position adopted is. occasionally, neither one nor the other. 

 In these two genera the \Yings are held in a " pent-house " attitude as in the 

 great majority of moths, sloping at an angle along the body ; Gomalia alhi- 

 fasciata, tor example, occasionally rests wth the wings in the pent-house 

 position and the abdomen curled up so characteristic of the noctuid genus 

 Eutelia. All these butterflies, however, often hold their wings in the normal, 

 erect way characterising the great majority of the subfamilies. In the genus 

 Hesperia also, the imagines have the habit of basking with the wings half open, 

 that is with the fore wings slightly opened from the erect position and the hind 

 wings still more separated as do many of the insects of the genera Telicota, 

 Baoris, Halpe, d-c. 



Although the above represents the most natural sequence of Col. Swinhoe's 

 subfamilies, there are various objections to be made to the groups themselves 

 and to their internal constitution. These twelve groups are best discussed in 

 detail in order : — 



Achalarince. — Will have to stand as nothing is known about the earlier stages : 

 on a general view of the pictures of the insects composing it as given in Colonel 

 Swinhce's Lepidoptera indica the subfamily seems to be quite a natural one. 



Celcenorrhince. — Is a natural group and will also stand, even to the component 

 genera and their species. Out of the 13 genera of Avhich it is composed 7 are 

 known in their early stages of egg, larva and pupa and show strong affinities ; all 

 the insects rest with horizontally spread wings as do the Achalarince. 



Hesjjeriince. — Also natural wdthin certain limits. The transformations of 

 most of the genera are known and show certai i affinities ; the insects rest with 

 their wings perj^endicularly raised over their backs except in the case of the 

 genera Gomalia and Thanaos which at night and in dull weather hold them " pent- 

 house " rather like moths of the genus Eutelia and even, like these, curl the 

 abdomen up. However these insects also occasionally close the wings over the 

 back. All the subfamily have egsjs with strong meridional ridges except 

 Gomalia which has them strongly and densely coarse-tuberculate (the tubercles 

 are, however, arranged in radiatmg rows) with a 7 -sided Ud on the top through 

 which the larva emerges — all, indeed, of the eggs are characterized by the fact 

 that the larva emerges through the very top. 



Ismeneince. — Is a very natural group as may be gathered by what has already 

 been said about it. The transformations of Ismene, Rhopolocampta, Bibasis, 

 Hasora and Badamia are known. 



ErynnincB. — There is not much to be said for tliis group as it contains ele- 

 ments that are quite irreconcilable with each other. To begin with the whole 

 of what may be called the Baorine section must be taken out of it : the genera 

 Baoris, Caltoris, Chapra and Gegenes ; Erynnis will remain. These excerpted 

 genera together Avith others of the subfamily Matapince will form a new 

 subfamily which may be styled Baorince. Colonel Swinhoe's Matapince will 

 disappear as explained below, the genera Hyarotis, Acerbas, Arnetta, Zogra- 

 phetus, Scobura, Sebastonyma, Itys, Iton and Isma going to Notocryptince while 

 Aero77mchi(S (and Swinhoe's new genus Machachus erected for one of the sections) 

 go to Pamphilince ; the only remaining genus which is the tA^e-genus, Matapa, 

 going naturally into Erionotince with which (as e\idenced by the earUer stages of 

 Gangara thyrsis and Matapa aria) it has every affinity. 



Blasting iince. — Is seemingly a natural group but, as only a single representa- 

 tive, namely Plastingia suhmaculata, of the various genera contained therein has 

 been bred, 'it is difficult to say. This particular butterfly is very Hke Suastus 

 gremius in facies and has similar eggs, larva and pupa besides making its cell in 

 the same way so that, from its earlier stages, it should go into Suastince from 

 which, however, it is separated in the perfect state by having an inconspicuous 

 4 



