NOTES. 63 



C. hiramosa would be found to have some similar faculty, since 

 it is so fond of running along the very edge of the waves. When 

 at Trincomalee at the end of June, 1907, I watched C. hiramosa on 

 the beach, to find out whether I could see any running along on the 

 water. This I failed to do, but I saw one overtaken by an incoming 

 wave, which washed right over it, yet the beetle ran up the beach 

 quite unliurt. I then tried to see if I could drive them over the 

 water to make them settle on it. This was very difficult to do, 

 as they generally flew wp the beach, but I was able to corner them 

 on a sandy spit, whence they had to fly over the water. Amongst 

 numerous specimens which I made to fly over the water in this 

 manner, I distinctly saw one settle on the water; rise and fly a few 

 yards, settle again, then rise again and fly out of sight. A second 

 specimen I saw settle on the water, but then lost sight of it, as 

 the water Mas rough here. 



I next determined to see Avhether they could rise up from the 

 water if actually immersed in it, as they would be when caught 

 by a M'ave on the bcacli. Three beetles Mere therefore caught and 

 experimented with as follows : — 



(a) ThroM^n into the M'^ater ; 



(6) Held under water about half a minute ; 



(c) Held under M'ater for a full minute. 



In all these cases the beetle flew off from the surface of the water 

 without hesitation. 



This shows, I think, that C. hiramosa can stand an occasional 

 wetting by an incoming wave, or even by being blown into the 

 water. 



False-warning Coloration in a Syntomid Moth. — Colombo, March 

 12, 1907. This morning our First Lieutenant caught a battered 

 specimen of Euchromia polymena, which had flown on board the 

 ship. One of the bluejackets advised him not to touch it, thinking 

 it a wasp, and said it had bitten one of the men ! This seems a 

 certain amount of evidence as regards the warning nature of its 

 colour pattern. 



Swallows and Seed-dispersal. — On the evening of March 16, 1907, 

 I M^as watching some swallows flying about over the ramparts at 

 Galle, and noticed one of them with something white attached to its 

 tail. It appeared to be some fluffy seed — such as thistledown or 

 cotton — and Mas firmly attached, as it remained there, M^hilst the 

 bird was rapidly haM'king on the Mang. This is interesting as an 

 example of means of dispersal, particularly in the case of such a 

 far- flying bird as a SM^alloM\ 



Resting Position of a Butterfly. — On April 20, 1907, there were a 

 good many Limnas {Danais) chrysippus along the ramparts at 

 Galle, congregated together quite gregariously in one place. It 

 was just about sunset, and they were evidently settling down for 



