G12 Dr. G. B. Longstaff's Bioiiomic Notes on Buttcrjlies. 



" sliglitly musty " respectively. In 6 cases in wliich 

 there was a decided, or even strong, scent in the field, 

 none was dctcctetl in the house ; in other instances 

 the scent at home was slighter, or even described as 

 " musty," but in one specimen it was compared to sweet 

 hay. 



In all the 11 $ the scent is compared to acetylene, 

 with the remark in one case " not so pungent as Euplcca 

 asela." Two other $ specimens were said to have a musty 

 odour. 



I aui satisfied that in the case of P. agJca the scent is 

 more transitory, possibly more volatile, than in the majority 

 of scent-yielding butterflies. 



Crastia ascla, Moore (Ceylon, 1908). In 32 out of 38 $ 

 and in 17 out of 19 $ examined a scent was noted in the 

 field. In 4 ^ and 1 $ my notes record that no scent was 

 detected, as regards the others they are silent. Again, it 

 is clearly recorded that on re-examination in the hotel in 

 the case of 13 ^ and 5 $ no scent could be detected, 

 moreover when a scent was noted at home it was in the 

 large majority of cases (especially among males) much 

 fainter than it had been in the field. 



In both sexes the scent varied considerably in strength : 

 it was I think quite as strong in the females as in the 

 males, though certainly the three instances in which the 

 scent was strong enough to be obvious through the net 

 were all males. In one $ the scent was described as " not 

 unpleasant " ; in 5 instances — 1 $, 4 $ — it is described as 

 pungent and compared to acetic acid. In the case of a ^ 

 the note is : " strong pungent odour, acetic acid : distinct 

 at home, still pungent (insect alive). The scent adhered 

 to the fingers after pinching." 



As in the case of Parantica the scent of Crastia would 

 appear to be more volatile than in the Picriiuv or in 

 Limnas. 



Having abundant material I made some endeavour 

 to ascertain the source of the scent. In 15 cases it is 

 noted that the $ genital tufts were fully everted when the 

 insect was examined, nevertheless in 5 no scent could be 

 detected, although in the others it was more or less strong. 

 There is a special note in one case : " the acetylene odour 

 seemed to come from the tufts," but, on the other hand, in 

 4 cases it is noted that the scent appeared to come from 

 the wings, in one of these from their upper surface. 



