PREFACE TO VOL. Ill. 
0 
The first volume of “ The Butterflies of India, Burmah and Ceylon” was published in 
August, 1883, the second in October, 1886, the third is now issued after about the same interval 
of rather over three years from the second as intervened between the second and the first. 
These long intervals are much to be regretted, but they have proved to be unavoidable. To 
European residents in India an occasional holiday is necessary for health’s sake alone, and 
hence, in accordance with tke old saw that “ All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” 
I spent six months in Kashmir during the summer of 1887, during which period my work on 
this book necessarily came to a standstill. But, excluding this interval of rest and recreation, 
I have worked steadily and continuously at this volume during my leisure time, usually devoting 
to it at least three or four hours, and often more, on every day since Volume II was issued. The 
present volume represents 1,400 sheets of foolscap manuscript, the passing of which through the 
press has alone taken more than a year ; the whole of the MS. having been placed in the 
printer’s hands on New Year’s Day, 1889. I mention these facts because surprise has been 
expressed that the production of a single volume should occupy so long a time. 
I have still deeply to regret that Colonel G. F. L. Marshall, R.E., has been able, 
mainly owing to ill-health, but partly from pressure of official duties, to do so little to the work. 
He was enabled, however, before he left India on leave, to give me considerable preliminary 
assistance in the preparation of the MS., for which I now tender him my grateful thanks. 
To Colonel A. M. Lang, R.E., I am much indebted for considerable help with the Intro- 
duction to the volume, and in the construction of the Key to the Genera. Very unfortunately 
for me he has retired from the service and left India, and hence is no longer at hand to assist 
me with his great and valued experience. 
Professor J. Wood-Mason, the Superintendent of the Indian Museum, has most kindly 
read through a final proof of every page in the volume, from his great zoological knowledge 
and experience rendered me much help, and allowed me the freest use of the collections 
of specimens and of books in the institution under his direction ; all of which I hereby 
gratefully acknowledge. 
It remains only for me to express my most sincere thanks to the following gentlemen for 
the valuable assistance rendered during the progress of this volume. In the first position 
amongst these I place my late dear friend Otto Moller of ‘Tukvar, Darjiling, than whom a 
more generous man never lived, and whose entire collection, together with the stores of know- 
ledge he had acquired, during the many years he had studied the butterflies of Sikkim and 
Bhutan, was unreservedly placed at my service. His untimely death a year ago is a great loss 
to entomology, and an irreparable one tome. Messrs. A. V. Knyvett, G. C. Dudgeon, and J. 
Gammie have most kindly allowed me the use of any specimens in their Sikkim collections 
that I required, especially the first-named, who, in addition to his Sikkim collection, possesses 
a splendid series of the butterflies of the little-known neighbouring country of Bhutan. 
To the Rey. Walter A, Hamilton my best thanks are due for the immense number of specimens 
