200 LEPIDOPTERA [NDICA. 



streaks fuliginous-grey. Hindwing intense black or blue-black ; the outer vein borders 

 paler ; basal patch scarlet ; white apex of the cell, discal patches, anal spot and 

 marginal lunules, as on the upperside, the red borders somewhat paler, and the 

 upper lunules and their cilise being white or greyish-white, or these lunules are 

 slightly red speckled. Abdomen with broad yellow-ochreous lateral bands. 



Expanse, ? 5|- to 6 inches. 



Specimens of this form of female from the Khasia and Jaintia Hills ; Shillong, 

 Assam ; Nepal ; and Kyaikto, Tenasscrim, the latter, taken in February, are in the 

 British Museum. Wc have it fi'om Kepal, taken by Gen. G. Ramsay ; Rangoon 

 and Tounghoo, Burma. The lower figure on Plate 15 of Clerck's Icones, evidently 

 represents this form, with the tails broken off. 



DiSTRiBGTiON. — This is " a very common species in Sikklm, and is found from 

 April to December, from the Terai up to 5000 feet. The female is polymorphic, 

 but three distinct forms may be defined, though each is more or less variable. The 

 first form is tailless, and is more like the male ; the second is also tailless, but has a 

 large white patch on the hindwing ; the third is tailed, and is marked with white 

 spots on the disc of the hindwing. The second form of female is alone rare, the 

 third form is the commonest of tlie three forms" (de Niceville, Sikkim Gazetteer, 

 1894, 172). Mr. H. J. Elwes also records it as being " common in the lower valleys, 

 of Sikkim, and is found as high as 4000 to 5000 feet, from April until December. 

 The common form of female is tailed, with a considerable amount of white in and 

 beyond the cell of the hindwing ; but tailless females are also found, without any 

 white markings, and others with a broad white patch on the hinder margin of the 

 forewing" (Tr. Ent. Soc. Lend. 1888, 428). Col. C. Swinhoe records it as 

 " appai-ently very common in the Khasia Hills, in all its varieties " (Tr. Ent. Soc. 

 Lond. 1893, 312). Mr. J. Wood-Mason obtained "forty-two males, six females 

 (figured by Distant as female of Mesfor, Hiibn.), one female {Aijenor, Cram.), eight 

 females {Alcanor and Aclmtcs, Cram.), in the forests and gardens in and around 

 Silcuri, Trangmara, the Doarband Pass, Hasooria, and Rupacherra, in Cachar, where 

 it was almost always to be seen from April 3rd to August 10th. On one occasion 

 all four forms were seen on the wing together in a group, having evidently just 

 emer.o-ed from the chrysalis state, and a specimen of each was taken. All the forms 

 of this species are inodorous " (Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, 1886, 873). Capt. E. Y. 

 Watson, during the Chin-Lushai Expedition of 1889-90, took " one male (form Gilix) 

 at Tiiin, in March, one male and two females (form Mestor) at Tilin, in November 

 and March" (Journ. Bombay N. H. S. 1891, 53). Col. C. H. E. Adamson records 

 " the forms of female Agenor and .Achates as being common throughout Burma. 

 The form Mestor having been taken only in the Bhamo District. The male is a very 

 rapid flyer, while the females are heavy, sluggish flyers and easily captured" (List, 



