98 THE entomologist's record. 



for their wide dispersal movements, and it is remarkable that the greater 

 number of exotic species in which the migratory habit has been most 

 frequently observed, belong either to the Pierids, Danaids, or Nymphalids. 

 The records of migrating butterflies belonging to other groups are very 

 rare indeed. It is quite impossible to deal with the large number of 

 observations made by different authors concerning the migration of 

 butterflies in eastern lands, and the few selected must be taken as 

 being, on the whole, characteristic of a much greater number. 

 Biggs {Monthhi Packet, ii., pp. 186-187, 1881) speaks of Delias 

 dione as the "common coasting butterfly" of India, and describes 

 it as being sometimes observed in an "apparently endless stream," 

 all following one direction, some 20 to 30 being in sight per 

 minute at any one point, but altogether forming a belt several miles 

 broad, extending far inland from the coast and from morning till night 

 continuing to pass on for a fortnight or more. He adds : " It seems 

 seldom to feed or alight during these migrations except at night or 

 early morning, when, with dawn, it resumes its flight .... 

 Now and then it gets into a eid <ic mc, formed by thick clumps of fruit- 

 trees or the high walls of houses, against which it will dash itself 

 repeatedly and recklessly, willing to persevere until death. This is 

 especially apt to be the case, when a strong head wind is blowing 

 against it." Thwaites also describes the migrations of the Pierids in 

 Ceylon, and writes : — "At certain times of the year immense hosts of 

 these butterflies, mostly of a white colour, or nearly white, may be observed 

 during the hottest part of the day, pushing in an impetuous flight 

 across the country, driven by some irresistilile instinctive impulse, 

 and impatient of any obstruction in their headlong course ; even 

 ascending hills of 6,000 feet in elevation and descending again, striking 

 like animated snowflakes against anyone meeting them in their course, 

 and then, after passing the obstruction, making on with the same 

 pertinacity as before towards where they are hurrying, until the failure 

 of sunshine arrests their progress for the day, to be continued probably 

 on succeeding days until the wondrous furor has exhausted itself. By 

 the superstitious natives these marvellous movements of white butter- 

 flies are attributed to a desire on the part of the insects to do homage 

 to the footstep of Buddha on Adam's Peak, moved as the native 

 himself is to do so at certain times of the year. But the phenomenal, 

 apart from the native, idea is well worthy of study by anyone who has 

 time and opportunity to devote to it. It would be interesting to ascer- 

 tain, firstly, whence these butterfly hosts come, and where their feeding- 

 grounds when in the larval state; secondly, to determine if the immense 

 numbers of these butterflies Avhich have halted for the night, wake up 

 in the early morning to continue their course in exactly the same 

 direction as on the previous day, and at what hour the resumed 

 movement commences ; thirdly, to ascertain if during the time their 

 progress is arrested by night, many fall a prey to the attacks of birds, 

 bats, lizards, &c., to an extent to reduce their numbers very con- 

 siderably, and, lastly, how their eventful disappearance is to be accounted 

 for. I should remark that amongst the main body of these travelling 

 white butterflies, small groups of half-a-dozen individuals or more may 

 be observed, which, in strings of sequence, looking as if playing 'follow 

 my leader,' have a pretty appearance. In some portions of the country 

 in their line of flight, where shallow water may be lying, large numbers 



