160 LEPIDOPTERA INDICA. 



Type.— K. Paralekta. 



Distribution of Gends. — The species of this genus occur in India, where they 

 are met with all along the Himalayas, from Kashmir on the West to Bhotan on the 

 East, in Assam, Naga and Khasia Hills, Silhet, Oachar, Orissa, Hills of Central 

 India, the Eastern Ghats as far South as the Godavery, the Western Ghats, and 

 South India; also Ceylon, the Andamans, and in Burma; Tenasserim ; Malay 

 Peninsula ; Sumatra ; Java ; Borneo ; S. and W. China. 



Seasonal Forms. — In our descriptions and figures of the species of this genus 

 we have assigned, as seasonal forms, several which have hitherto been considered 

 distinct. 



According to the observations of Messrs. J. Davidson and E. H. Aitken (Journ. 

 Bombay N. H. Soc. 1896, 256) "the tvet and dry season forms of A'. Horsfieldi, are as 

 different as Junonia Asterie and Almana. The wet-season form is small, dark green 

 above, and faintly ocellated on tlie underside, with the apex of forewing scarcely 

 produced at all ; the dry-season form is large, pale on the upperside, very variable 

 on the underside, but without a trace of ocellation, and has the apex produced into 

 a point which is sometimes quite a quarter of an inch in length ; the hyaline marks 

 may be present in either form." 



Habits, and Peotective Mimicry. — *' They are not as a rule found at any great 

 elevation, and seem confined to the lower valleys in the diS'erent mountain and hill 

 ranges ; they frequent rocky nullahs where there is shade, and are strong on the 

 wing and rapid in their movements. Wheu at rest they are extremely difficult to 

 detect — owing to their wings being usually closed over the back when in repose, not 

 expanded, and each fore and hindvving together form the exact representation of a 

 leaf, of whicb the point at the apex of the forewing forms the tip, and a 

 long tail at the anal angle of the hindwing represents the stalk ; the latter when the 

 butterfly is in repose frequently rests against the stem on which the butterfly has 

 settled, and produces the impression that the leaf is actually growing out of it; 

 from the tail to the apex a more or less prominent rib-like mark extends, answering 

 to the mid-rib of a leaf, and on either side branching veins extend more or less 

 distinctly marked — and. the first indication of their presence is generally the flash of 

 brilliant blue and yellow as they rise with a rapid dart, startled by any movement 

 near their resting-place, and exposing the brightly-cploured upper surface of the 

 wings. They do not as a rule fly far, but the rapidity with which they alight again 

 and the concealment with which their colours provide them with when settled, 

 render them rather difficult to capture. In Sikkim K. Inachis is an extremely 

 common butterfly, often settling on the banks of streams to suck up the moisture, 

 also on the trunks of certain trees, which, I presume, furnish them with a juice of 

 ■^hich they are fond " (L, de NiceviUe, I.e. ?58). " When frightened, it invariably 



