NOTES. 107 



Catopsilia crocale and Papilio polytes were very abundant, but 

 amongst the captured were : — 



Papilio nomius I Ergolis ariadne 



Papilio crino ] Hebomoia australis 



Papilio demoleus j Appias pavilina 

 Junonia iphita Catopsilia pyi'anthe 



Junonia almana Castalius rosimon 



Danais limniace 

 Danais aglea 

 Bindahara sugriva 

 Telchinia violse 

 Euplcea asela 



The migration was not noticed while travelling from Liangolla to 

 Pottuvil. 



JOSEPH A. DANIEL, 

 December 23, 1907. Assistant Mineral Surveyor. 



12. A visit to the Nitre Gave ot Wellawaya, Uva. — On September 12 

 last I visited the Nitre Cave at Wellawaya, mentioned by Dr. Jolin 

 Davy in his "Account of the Interior of Ceylon," pp. 429 et seq. (1821). 



The surroundings of the cave are scarcely changed at all. The 

 cave is in the heart of forest about 2| miles from the Koslanda- 

 Wellawaya road. We observed evidences of elephants visiting the 

 vicinity of the cave. We struck the entrance into the cave after 

 searching for some time. 



The cave is situated on the side of a hill. It is formed in a band 

 of limestone running across the hill in S.W. and N.E. direction. 

 The limestone band dips about 45° to the west. The limestone 

 collected from the sides of the cave is made up of fairly pure good-sized 

 crystals of calcite. I am inclined to think that the cave is primarily 

 formed by natural causes. The solvent action of waters and the 

 decomposition of the rocks owing to chemical and physical actions 

 are the chief agencies which wrought this cave. The limestone 

 might have been subjected just at this place to unequal strain, 

 which would then favour solubility. It is very probable that this 

 cave was formed before the surface features of the surrounding 

 district were fuUy developed. 



The entrance into the cave was steep, and a loathsome smell 

 emanated from it owing to damp, as we found later on owing to 

 the excreta of bats. We lit our lanterns and candles and began to 

 descend into the gloom of the cave. Then we heard a sound like 

 that of gushing waters, and I thought there was a stream flowing 

 through the cave. But this was a delusion, as I quickly discovered. 

 We had already disturbed the bats , and they were flitting about like 

 shadows in the gloomy cavern. Tlxe gushing sound was caused by 

 the fluttering of thousands of bats. 



After descending about thirty feet we found ourselves at the 

 entrance of a huge hall. The sides were rugged, but the roof at this 

 place had apparently a smooth surface. Where the bats had settled 

 on the roof from time to time little wliite patches were left, which 



