some British East African B^dterfiies. 493 



(2) Taveta and Kilimanjaro. 



Although these are placed together as contiguous areas 

 they differ entirely in climate. 



Taveta has a comparatively small rainfall, averaging 

 perhaps 30 inches, of which the larger portion falls 

 between mid-March and mid-]\Iay. The rest of the year 

 is an almost continuous dry season, broken only by a few 

 heavy showers in November. The day temperature is 

 high, risinsf well over 90" in the hot season, and the niofht 

 temperature much lower, often falling below 70'^ even 

 during the hottest period of the year, whilst in the cool 

 season it sometimes sinks to 55°. The elevation is 

 2500 ft. 



The whole country is arid with the exception of the 

 forest, which is well watered by springs, and occupies an 

 area of some 10 square miles. The timber differs greatly 

 from the lower growth near the coast ; for the trees are of 

 great size, and where they have not been cut the forest is 

 very dense. 



Kilimanjaro, on the other hand, has a large rainfall 

 which extends over the whole year with the exception of 

 two or three months from mid-December to mid-March. 

 Cultivation extends up to about 6000 ft., above which 

 there is a dense low forest as far as 8000 or 9000 ft.* In 

 some places thei'e are outlying patches of forest at much 

 lower elevations, but generally speaking the country is 

 open and well cultivated, supporting a large population. 

 Most of my collecting was done at about 5000 ft., and I 

 believe my native collectors worked at much the same 

 elevation. 



(3) Kikv/yu. 



The Kikuyu country, at a height of from 5000 to 8000 

 ft. and even higher, is also well cultivated ground. It 

 rises from an elevated plateau and is very hilly, especially 

 in its northern part. 



I did a little collecting at Nairobi, the head-quarters of 

 the Colonial Government, and from there went to Kijabe, 



* In the sentence " I did go as far as the forest which extends 

 upwards for about 6000 ft," quoted from my letter by Professor 

 Poulton in Proc. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1906, p. lix, the word "for" 

 should be replaced by "from." 



