64 Dr. G. B. Longstaff's Notes on the Butterflies 



excellent riding-path along the watershed of the Sutlej 

 and Jumna, cut at one time on the hot and dusty southern 

 side of the mighty ridge, where the terraced slopes are 

 covered with crops of maize, or ruddy millet ; anon crossing 

 to the northern side which is mostly clothed with fine 

 forest of spruce, deodar, holm-oak and rhododendron — thus 

 winding in and out, but for the 50 miles that we traversed 

 always maintaining an altitude of from 7000 to 9000 ft. 

 We went by way of Fagu, Theog, Matiana and Narkanda to 

 Baghi, returning by the same route, except that from 

 Baghi to Narkanda we walked over Mt. Huttu, 11,000 ft.* 

 The expedition occupied eight days, but for simplicity 

 of description I shall not distinguish between outward 

 and return journeys. 



The general aspect was decidedly autumnal ; the nights 

 were chilly and most flowers had gone to seed. There 

 was more cloud than usual, and there were occasional 

 slight thunder- showers. Most of the butterflies seen 

 appeared to have been out some time, and were much 

 battered. Two circumstances tended to restrict the bag — 

 one, the fact that collecting was for the most part confined 

 to a narrow mountain road, bounded by a precipice on the 

 lower, and a cliff upon the higher side ; the other, a limit- 

 ation of wide application, that a tropical sun is not 

 conducive to rapid pursuit. 



Simla, alt. 7200 ft., to Fagu, alt. 8200 ft. 



October 10th and 17th. 



Gonepteryx rhamni, L., var. nipalensis, Dbl., was abundant 

 throughout the journey, and so was Aulocera swaha, Koll., 

 though in very poor condition ; both occurred in Simla 

 itself. The last named is a Satyrid having on the upper- 

 side a resemblance to our White Admiral, flying also with 

 much of the grace of that favourite butterfly. It loves 

 open spaces in woods, returning to the same spot when 

 disturbed. When it settles on the ground, a rock, a 

 flower, or a tree trunk, it often goes over on one 

 side as much as 45° or even 50°. I saw one of these 

 butterflies make three successive efforts, getting further 

 over each time ! On two distinct occasions I watched a 

 butterfly settle twice, turning the first time over to the 



* In Indian names " a " is pronounced as " a" in father, " u " as 

 " oo " in boot, " a " or " u " as " u " in but. 



