HITHER AND THITHER. 235 



flies. Salisbury Plain itself is not very productive, being too exposed 

 and with too little variety in its vegetation. Cupido miniwa was 

 common in many sheltered nooks. Hipparchia sewele swarmed every- 

 where, Pobjomuiatus corydon was also abundant, but P. bellan/u.'i I did 

 not see, or Plebcim aeyon, which I believe occurs at Old Sarum. 

 Lycaena avion is said to occur on the Plain, but I did not see it, and it 

 is not a locality where I should expect to find it. I do not think it 

 has been taken anywhere on the Plain for very many years. I noticed 

 one specimen of Colias hyale in August and Pyranieis atalanta was 

 abundant in the old British camp at Sidbury. 



In August I received orders to once more pack up my belongings, 

 and, early in September, set sail for this distant spot. It would be 

 insulting to my brother entomologists to inform them that Mauritius is 

 not far from Madagascar, but such information was, until lately, not 

 only needed by the War Office, but also the Education Department, 

 from both of which seats of learning we have recently received letters 

 addressed Mauritius, West Indies ! I w^onder if they appreciated the 

 sarcasm when we suggested that to send letters to the other hemisphere 

 entailed a considerable loss of time in answering letters. 



When off Cape Verde, forty-seven miles from land the captain told 

 me, I was surprised by the numbers of land birds flying round the ship, 

 evidently carried out to sea by the strong northeast wind then 

 blowing. They comprised among others, two doves, several fly-catchers 

 and one or two yellow wag-tails. At sunset I noticed also several 

 butterflies flying about the ship, and Avas wondering what species they 

 were when a spotted fly-catcher caught one and obligingly settled at 

 my feet, enabling me to see that it was a fine specimen of Pyranieis 

 cardid. I have never been on a long voyage without noticing a number 

 of land birds well out to sea, more particularly, perhaps, in the Mediter- 

 ranean ; sometimes the same individuals accompany the ship for one 

 or two days, probably resting at night in the rigging ; they sufter terribly 

 from want of water, and I fear they mostly find a Avatery grave from 

 exhaustion. A swallow on my present voyage settled on the cap of the 

 officer on the bridge in a completely exhausted condition. 



We were detained at Cape Town for a few days, awaiting the passage 

 to Mauritius, and this gave me a brief opportunity of making a first 

 acquaintance with South African butterflies. The season, I was told, 

 Avas very backAvard and unprecedentedly cold, and heavy rains had 

 delayed vegetation. However, the spring floAA^ers were noAv A'ery much 

 in evidence, and, like most visitors to the Cape at this time of the year, I 

 Avas much charmed Avith their beauty and A'ariety. Butterflies AA'ere just 

 coming on, and I managed to get one morning ramble on the mountain 

 at the back of the toAvn among the fir-trees Avhich coA^er Table 

 Mountain for a good way up on its northern face. Colias electra Avas 

 fairly common and evidently just putting in an appearance. I caught 

 two females, but did not see the pale form, Avhich I suppose is rarer, 

 folloAA'ing the custom of its cousin, C. edusa, Avhich it so closely resembles 

 in the male. Will some kindly disposed entomologist give the Record, 

 for my benefit and doubtless others, the argument on Avhich is based 

 the theory that Colias \-ar. Iwlice is a survival of the Glacial Epoch, or of 

 some long past climatic conditions. It has ahvays seemed to me a far 

 fetched theory, but I am so hazy about it that very possibly I misunder- 

 stand it. Pyraiiicia cardiii was quite common, some specimens being 



