480 sphingim:. 



horn ; a broad, pale blue or whitish dorso-lateral stripe 

 on 2 to 4 ; a similar subspiracular stripe on 2 to 4, meeting 

 at a sharp angle the lower end of the oblique stripe on 5; 

 ocellus on 5 round or obliquely oval, conical in shape, the small 

 pupil, at the apex of the cone, deep blue ; it is edged broadly 

 with very pale blue, this again edged broadly with white, 

 the whole edged narrowly with black ; broad pale blue oblique 

 stripes on 5 to 12, each running through the spiracle and 

 forwards on to the segment in front and back on to the segment 

 behind, that on 11 running across 12 to base of horn, that on 

 12 narrower than the rest and stopping just behind the spiracle. 

 Horn dark blue with a series of darker blue, narrow rings 

 from near base to tip ; legs, prolegs, anal flap and claspers 

 pale blue. Spiracles ochreous. Length up to 100 mm. ; 

 breadth up to 15 mm. ; horn 8 mm. 



There is no dark- coloured form, though some individuals 

 -are of a darker shade of green than others. 



Pupa. — Tongue -sheath more prominent ventrad than frontad. 

 Surface dull and smooth except for rounded tubercles on 

 veins of wing-case and legs. Cremaster triangular, ending 

 in two shafts which are broad and coalescing at base, each 

 shaft ending in a weak incurved spine and a longer, stronger 

 outcurved spine ; there is a dorso-lateral spine near base of 

 cremaster and another about half-way between base and tip, 

 each ending in two minute hooks ; upper surface of cremaster 

 shagreened, lower surface deeply longitudinally grooved. 

 Head, thorax and wing-case pale brown, darker on dorsum ; 

 the tubercles on legs and veins dark brown ; abdomen ochreous 

 with paler patches above and below the spiracles, which are 

 dark brown ; bevels of free abdominal segments reddish ; 

 shaft and spines of cremaster black. Length 55 mm. ; 

 breadth 11 mm. ; cremaster 3 mm. 



Habits. — Food-plant : Hydrangea lAnn., family Saxifragacese. 

 The subspecies bred by Mell in S. China feeds on Dichroa 

 febrifuga Lour., of the same family, so it is probable that plants 

 of this family are always chosen for the food of the various 

 subspecies. The larvae are very voracious feeders, and being 

 extremely common in Shillong hydrangea-bushes there are 

 frequently stripped of all their leaves. One bush which we 

 kept under observation was so stripped three times in one 

 season, eggs being laid on the fresh shoots as soon as they 

 appeared. Every season immense numbers of larvae are 

 destroyed by gardeners and numbers by ants, when, having 

 stripped one bush they are compelled to come to the ground 

 to seek other food. In spite of this annual destruction we 

 have not noticed any diminution in the numbers of the larvae 

 during a period of ten years. They appear to be singularly 

 immune from attacks by parasitic wasps and flies. When 



