( XXX ) 



heavily after rain, close by him — so close in fact that the 

 bird was frightened by the bicycle, and darted back, leaving 

 the butterfly fluttering in the road. He got of? his bicycle 

 and, looking back, saw the bird return and carry the insect 

 into the garden. When he tried to come to closer quarters 

 the bird flew up into a tree and finally, still carrying the 

 butterfly, across the road. The butterfly was P. napi or 

 rapae, almost certainly the latter. The bird could not be 

 observed very clearly, but from its size, colour, markings 

 (so far as seen), and flight, was evidently a female chaffinch. 

 The persistent pursuit in both these observations was worthy 

 of note.* 



Forms of Papilio polytes romulus, Cram., from Singa- 

 pore Island and the mainland opposite. — Prof. Poulton 

 exhibited the mimetic polytes, L., females of two series recently 

 sent to him by Dr. R. Hanitsch of the Raffles Museum, 

 Singapore, in extension of his earlier consignment, captured 

 Jan.-May, 1916, and analysed in our Proceedings for 1916, pp. 

 Ixxvi-lxxviii. The larger of the two series, analysed on p. 

 xxxi, was from the island. 



The non-mimetic females, cyrus, were thus less abundant 

 than in the series captured Jan.-May, 1916, when they 

 approximately equalled (8 to 9) the mimetic females. 



The mainland series, only received within the last few 

 weeks, consisted of 16 specimens from Johore, opposite 

 Singapore Island. Dr. Hanitsch wrote March 28, 1917 : " My 

 collector was over there last week, and this is the result of 

 five days' collecting ! As soon as I have the opportunity I 

 will try to send you more. Johore Bahru, where the speci- 

 mens were taken, is the capital of Johore, close to tlie straits 

 separating Singapore Island from the mainland. ' Bahru ' 

 means ' new.' " The specimens were noted as having been 

 captured four miles from Johore Bahru on the following 

 dates : — 



* A few days after the meeting on June 6 I received the following 

 note from Mr. W. Feather, F.E.S., at Kibwezi, B.E. Africa :—" On 

 September 26, 1916, about 7.30 a.m., I saw a green Bee-eater 

 [probably Merops sp.] catch and eat a Belenois 7nesentina 6 ■ The 

 insect was at rest on a low bush, and I had gone quite close to examine 

 it and had disturbed it." — E. B. P. 



