212 LEPIDOPTERA INDIGA. 



and males in the Hills North of Papun also in November. A male, from Siara, is in 

 Mr. W. Rothschild's collection. Mr. Moti Earn took "two males and one female in 

 Tavo}^ Teiiasserim" (J. A. S. Bengal, 1887, 423). Mr. W. Doherty took "a single 

 male of Mahesa in the Karen Hills in March " (P. Z. S. ] 891, 277). In South Indian 

 specimens, the wet-season form, in both sexes, have the submarginal and marginal 

 lunulas of the upperside, in both wings, broader and of a dark grey colour ; and on 

 the underside all the markings a,re broader and dark greenish-grey ; the dry-season 

 female also has all the markings on the upper side broader than in that of the 

 N.E. Indian specimens, and on the underside all the markings are also broader, the 

 discal and submarginal band on the hindwing being coalesced posteriorly. 

 Mr. G. F. Hampson records it as " rare on the Nilgiris, from 3000 to 4000 feet " 

 (J. A. S. Bengal, 1888, 354). Messrs. J. Davidson and E. H. Aitken, in their 

 Notes on the butterflies of the North Kanara District, Bombay, say " this is perhaps 

 the commonest of the Athymas with us. LarvfB are found from August, feeding 

 on Olea dioica and Lonicera malabarica, and the butterfly becomes common in 

 September, and continues through the dry-season " (J. Bombay N. H. S. 1896, 254). 

 " A female was noticed on the 19th September laying eggs on Olea dioica. Only one 

 egg was secured, but by the most affectionate care this was successfully reared. In 

 form the larva was exactly similar to that of L. Procris ; in colour it was green, with a 

 whitish band round the ninth segment " {id. 1890, 850). " Very rare in Travancore, 

 only one taken at 2000 feet elevation " (H. S. Ferguson, J. Bombay N. H. S. 1891, 

 p. 9). " Three males taken at Gersoppa Falls, Mysore, in January" (Capt. E. Y. 

 Watson, id. 1890, p. 6). 



Habits and For)D-PLANT of Larva. — Feeds on Olea dioica and Lonicera 

 malaharica. Habits very like those of Limenitis Procris, but not quite the same. It 

 selected one of the side-nerves of a leaf and ate away the soft part on each side till 

 the bare nerve stood out ; then having barricaded the approach to this with frag- 

 ments of leaf which it had contrived to cut off in feeding, mixed with excrement and 

 silk, it rested motionless on the very point of the rib, unappi^oachable by ants or 

 spiders. After the last moult it gave up these habits, and rested on the upperside 

 of a leaf, where it was conspicuous enough. We infer that the worst enemies of 

 this species are not birds, or parasites, but small spidei's and predacious insects " 

 (J. Davidson and E. H. Aitken, J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 1890, 350). 



Of our illustrations of this species on Plate 269, fig. 1, la, d, e, f, g, are Sikkiui 

 males and females, and fig. 1, b, c, a S. Indian female of the wet-season form, and on 

 Plate 270, fig. I, the larva and pupa, reproduced from Mr. Davidson's drawing 

 (I.e.), and fig. 1, a, a Khasia male, and fig. 1, b, a Sikkim female of the dnj-season 

 form. 



