NOTES. 299 



30. On a Stridulating Reduviid Bug. — On picking up a living 

 specimen of the large apterous reduviid bug — Physorhynchus 

 linnaei — a distinct stridulation was noticeable. A closer examina- 

 tion showed that the sound was produced by friction between the 

 tip of the short stout rostrum and a deep groove running between 

 the bases of the anterior legs. The groove is demarked by a strongly 

 raised margin, and contains a narrow, elongate, transversely striate 

 plate (see figure). This structure is common to both sexes, and 

 occurs also in the allied species Physorhynchus tuberculatus. 



Peradeniya, August, 1912. E. ERNEST GREEN. 



31. Dragon Flies capturing Butterflies. — The following notes are 

 extracted from a letter received from Mr. John Pole, whose observa- 

 tions on insect life are always valuable, and, in this case, are of 

 particular importance, as throwing light upon the vexed question 

 of the enemies of butterflies. He writes, under, date April 22 : — 

 " There seemed to be a migratory flight of the white butterfly, Appias 

 paulina, at 1 .30 to-day. Whilst watching this from the bungalow, 

 I observed wings floating to the grass, and wishing to ascertain 

 particulars, went outside to watch. The sky was clouded over 

 temporarily, and a crowd of the butterflies were seeking shelter in 

 an orange tree from an anticipated shower of rain. Two large 

 dragon flies hawking over the grass attracted my attention, and I 

 had barely attributed the floating wings to them before one of them 

 caught a white butterfly and, nipping off its wings, made off with 

 it. I called to a friend who was staying with me to come and watch 

 the sport. He had barely come on the scene when the other dragon 

 fly caught a male Papilio polytes and danced about whilst devouring 

 it. It came so near us that my friend knocked it down with- his hat 

 and picked it up together with one wing of the butterfly that it had 

 been devouring." 



The dragon fly in question is a large Libellulid, possibly a species 

 of Anax, measuring 5| inches across the expanded wings. 



Peradeniya, August, 1912. E. ERNEST GREEN. 



32. " Herpestes vitticollis,'" the Stripe-necked Mungoose. Sinha- 

 lese, " Loku Mugatiya." — This is the largest species of mungoose 

 found in India and Ceylon , and its coloiu' varies from grizzled dusky 

 iron gray to rich unspeckled ferruginous or chestnut red, the red 

 colour frequently confined to the hinder part of the body and tail, 

 the head always iron gray above, a black band down each side of 

 the neck from behind the ear to the shoulder, and tail rufous black 

 at the tip. 



2 R 6(7)12 



