﻿156 



THR ENTOMOLOGIST. 



the formation of faunistic characters (and in the concealment of 

 those we should expect to find). 



Shelford notes that on the following day " another flighting 

 was noticed in Kuching, but the numbers were infinitesimal 

 compared to those flying on the 12th, and they did not attract 

 the attention of many observers." On the present occasion 

 similar swarms were noticed on the two succeeding days, all 

 wending their way on the same west-north-westerly direction. 

 Shelford further notes that out of eighteen specimens captured 

 on January 12th, 1903, thirteen were males and only five females. 

 On the third day of flighting this year (January 12th, 1915), we 

 caught between forty and fifty, and the sexes were almost evenly 

 divided. At the moment of writing (twelve days after) the 

 species has not been noticeable in Kuching until this afternoon, 

 when my wife called my attention to their presence again. As 

 before, they were flying in similar numbers in the same direction. 

 Shelford, on the other hand, states that in 1903, " a month after 

 the swarm was observed, this species is quite the most common 

 met with in and around Kuching, but now nearly all the speci- 

 mens captured are females." Two other very similar species are 

 not uncommon in Sarawak— C tyche, Feld., and C. malapa, 

 Feld. — and in flight I doubt if the three species could be distin- 

 guished. Of the fifty specimens captured on this occasion all 

 were C. emalea except two, one of which was a male C. tyche, the 

 other a male C. malaya. Some authors have regarded this last 

 species as a dry-season form of emalea, but collecting in 

 Sarawak does not support this, and I think malaya is quite a 

 good species. The presence of these two strangers may be due 

 to the same reason which drew the Etiploea and myself, namely, 

 Curiosity ! 



There are two more Cirrochroas in Sarawak— C. satellitia, 

 Butl. and C. orissa, Feld. — but both are more distinct and 

 could be recognised on the wing. I saw none of them in this 

 swarm. 



The local Chinese regard the swarms as an evil portent, and 

 they say that sickness will fall upon the land this year. It is 

 true that cholera was bad in Sarawak in 1903, the year of 

 Shelford's swarm, but in 1902 it was infinitely worse. 



January 25th. — Fine morning and slight wind from the 

 north ; the flights of C. emalea noted yesterday afternoon con- 

 tinue again to-day, beginning at 11 a.m., just as numerous as 

 before, and flying now, as I write (2.25 p.m.), in the same west- 

 north-westerly direction. 



I have anxiously looked out for any signs of attacks by birds, 

 but have failed to see any. To a sporting insect-eater this pro- 

 fusion of butterflies should be tempting, though I expect they 

 would take some catching. 



Sarawak: January 25th, 1915. 



