42 
NYMPHALINvE. 
Although the eggs seem to be always laid on S. China , and the lame are there found, 
yet they will generally eat several other species of Smilax. 
The larva will be figured later in black-and-white. 
Vanessa (Pyrameis) indica, Herbst 
Probably more common than the foregoing sp.; with the same habits, though much more 
attached to flowers and very fond of overripe fruit. This insect reminds one somewhat of the “ Red 
Admiral,” V. atalanta , but it is not so large nor so handsome, and does not fly with the graceful 
sailing motion of that butterfly, being usually extremely rapid in its movements. It is most 
plentiful in autumn, and varies very much in size at any season, but the sexes are alike. 
Fig. i, PI. V is from a £ taken in January. 
The late Dr. Gomes da Silva informed me that the larva feeds on Ricinus communis y 
Linn., Nat. Ord. Euphorhiaceoe , the Castor-oil plant, which grows commonly here in waste ground, 
especially near villages, and sometimes attains a great size, with a woody trunk. 
Vanessa (Pyrameis) cardui, Linn. 
Not so common as the two preceding butterflies, in fact sporadic and never occurring 
abundantly. Though it varies much in size it is always smaller than the “Painted Lady” at 
home. Like the other Vanessce it is very fond of settling on the ground, either with closed wings 
or “ fanning.” This very widely-ranging insect seems to occur almost the world over, and it is one of 
the very few New Zealand butterflies, a country which has altogether only about a dozen species. 
Horsfields Cat. of the Lep. m the Ind. Mus. says that in Java the larva feeds on a sp. of 
Artemisia , probably its foodplant here, as two or three sp. are native to Hongkong. In England 
it feeds on a thistle, belonging to the same Nat. Ord. Composites , of which Bentham observes in 
Flora Hongkongensis “the most extensive family among flowering plants, and represented in 
every quarter of the globe, and in every variety of station.” This is probably one of the causes of 
the wide range of V. cardui. 
Fig. 3, PL V is from a % taken in October. The sexes are alike. The larva is spiny, much 
resembling that of V. can ace except in colouration. 
Rhinopalpa sabina, Cramer 
Apparently an accidental visitor, or very rare. The sexes are similar, but the $ is much 
the larger. 
Fig. 6, PI. VI is from a $ taken in May at Macao by the late Dr. Gomes da Silva, who 
also took a $ at the same time, frequenting flowers : both specimens were in perfect condition and 
evidently not long emerged from the pupa. 
