Indian Museum Notes. \ Vol. H. 



Sikkim, Shillong, Buxa, and Sibsagar, besides a single specimen from the 

 Andaman Islands of wbat seems to be a local variety. 



It is said to be common up to 5,000 feet in Sikkim, where, it is 

 thouo-bt to be trivoltine, feeding upon Zant1ioxylit,m acantkopodinm, or 

 Z. alatum (MoUer). Its larval stages do not appear to have been ob- 

 served in India. The cocoons, tbougb much smaller in size^ are very 

 similar in structure, coloration, and general appearance to the cocoons of 

 Aftacus atlas; they are snialler and more compact than cocoons of A. 

 ricini, but appear nevertheless to contain a considerable amount of silk^ 

 which would no doubfc be valuable for carding purposes if it could be 

 obtained in any considerable quantities. Of late they have appeared in 

 the Calcutta market, where they sive known us J unphes, Mr. G. C.Hodson 

 writes that they are brought to market by Mahomedans, while the eri and 

 muga trade is entirely in the hands of Marwarries. According to Captain 

 Hutton the insect is also identical with a semi-domesticated species which 

 is reared on a small scale in some parts of China, upon Ailanthis glandu- 

 losa, for the production of silk, and which has also been raised experi- 

 mentally upon the same plant in Europe, 



The forms Attacus giierini (Moore), Attacns obscurus {J^nXXev) , Attactis 

 canningii (Hutton), and Satnrnia iole (Westwood), have at different 

 times been described as distinct species . From the descriptions and figures 

 that have been given of them, however, they appear to be so nearly related 

 to A, cynthia and A. ricini that until cause is shown for their separation 

 it seems best to look upon them as synonyms of one or other of these two 

 species. Of the species Attacus vesta (Walker) no description has been 

 lound, and it may, therefore, be neglected. 



The moths, figured on plate 3, were determined by Mr. H. [J. Elwes; 

 the cocoon was, one furnished by Mr. Otto M oiler. 



AcTiAS SELENE, Hiibner. Plate 4. 

 This species is common In collections from all parts of India, and is 

 said to occur in Ceylon and China. In the Indian Museum are speci- 

 mens from Simla, Shillong, Khasi Hills, Sylhet, Sibsagar, Manbhum, 

 Gobindpur, Lakbimpur, and from the neighborhood of Calcutta. In 

 Sikkim, according to Moller, it is fairly common at an elevation of from 

 3,000 to 5,000 feet. It passes the winter as a pupa inside the cocoon^ and 

 goes through two generations in the summer, the first set of moths 

 appearing in early spring and the second in July and August. The food 

 plant of the caterpillar is Zanthoxylum acartthopodium or Z. alatum. 

 In the hills around Mussoorie it was found by Hutton to feed on the 

 wild cherry, wild pear, walnut, Cedrela panienlafa, Coriaria nepalensis 

 (Munsoory) and several other forest trees. The cocoon is coarse in 

 texture, yields but little silk, and, as it is not forthcoming in any con- 

 siderable quantities, it has no commercial value. 



