NOTES. 18] 
blood of warm-blooded animals is necessary for the successful 
propagation of blood-sucking mosquitoes. If a meal of insect 
blood should prove to be sufficient for the nourishment of the deve- 
loping ova, the occurrence of mosquitoes in tracts of country 
destitute of the higher animals can be readily accounted for. 
Nalanda: This locality is reputed to be rich in butterflies, 
but a day’s collecting here was very disappointing. Species 
were few in number and the individuals badly worn. Huplea 
asela was in flight. Small groups of them were settling on the 
surface of the high road, not apparently on damp spots, but here, 
there, and anywhere. Catopsilia crocale was assembling in 
large groups, on damp spots in the ditches, especially in the 
neighbourhood of native houses where dirty water and slops 
had been deposited.. They were also assembled in great num- 
bers on damp sand in a fallow paddy field. Amongst them were 
a few individuals of [xias pirenassa. 
Plants of Strychnos nuxvomica (both here and at Habarane) 
were being defoliated by sphingid larve which proved to be those 
of Macroglossa affictitia. 
The larve of the common Noctuid moth Amyna selenampha 
were abundant on croton and other shrubs. 
A small snake was noticed, half submerged in a pool. Hold- 
ing my stick near its head provoked an instantaneous attack, 
which made me feel sure that it must be TV'ropidonotus piscator 
(asperrimus)—a particularly aggressive species. On lifting it out 
of the water my surmise was found to be correct. 
Termites’ nests in this locality were frequently covered with 
masses of a small Agaric (subsequently determined by the 
Government Mycologist as Hntoloma microcarpum) which was 
esteemed by the natives as an article of diet—made up into curry. 
Anopheline larve were noticed in the pools, but the resthouse 
was just then remarkably free from mosquitoes. Fever was said 
to have been prevalent in the neighbourhood during the previous 
month (September), but October was considered’ a healthy month. 
A species of whip-scorpion, T'helyphonus (? sepiaris), was common 
beneath stones and logs of wood. My companion found 
a large specimen in his bed on retiring for the night. This indi- 
vidual was kept alive for several weeks and fed freely upon cock- 
roaches and various other insects. It also completely consumed 
a small gecko that was imprisoned with it. When annoyed or 
excited it ejects a volatile fluid smelling like strong acetic acid. 
Habarane, November 1: Quite the most interesting capture 
here was a pair of Attid spiders. One was found under a stone, 
the other below a tuft of grass. They are of opposite sexes, but 
whether of different species or not is uncertain. At first sight 
they were mistaken for Mutillid wasps, of which they are most 
remarkable mimics. The two sexes mimic two distinct species 
2B . 8(1)07 
