70 Dr. G. B. Longstaffs Notes on the Butterflies 



Solon, circa 5000 ft., to Kdlka, 2184 ft. 

 October 20th, 1903. 



Starting from Simla by starlight, soon after 5 a.m., we 

 got to Solon by breakfast-time, and I there caught at 9 

 a.m. my first butterflies, two alsus-YC&o, Blues, Zizera 

 harsandra, Moore, and Z. malm, Koll. Also two flies, a 

 Musca of the domestica, L., group, and an Anthomyid. 



On the drive from Solon to Kalka, by making the most 

 of stoppages to change horses, and by occasionally jumping 

 out of the carriage, I managed to secure quite a lot of 

 things. Among the commonest was the beautiful Precis 

 osnonc, L., and with it P. orithyia and P. lemonias. QiAtclla 

 phalanta, Belenois mesentina, £, and Ilerda sena, I took 

 single examples. Terias Iteta, Boisd., was rather common. 

 There were also Catopsilia pyranthe, L., the gnoma-f ovm, 

 Terias hecabe, and Huphina nerissa. About two miles above 

 Kalka, say at about 2700 ft., I got a single Precis iphita, Cr. 

 At about the same place the great catch of the morning was 

 made, for I took my first Hypolimnas bolina, three males 

 and a female, believing them at the time to be two species. 

 Why does not this glorious insect retain its far more 

 poetical and more appropriate name, Diadema jacintha ? 

 Surely a black butterfly 2>\ inches in expanse with four 

 large glancing-blue spots, one on either wing, deserves to 

 be called after a gem. Anyway, I shall never forget the 

 impression produced by my first sight of its truly oriental 

 splendour; it was like Kingsley's "At last!" 



On my way down I also saw Pyrameis indica, and missed 

 two Papilios, probably P. machaon. 



At Kalka I got an hour and a half's collecting late in 

 the afternoon ; it was partly on waste ground about the 

 station, but mainly in a field bearing a crop of some kind 

 of pulse with thin pods 4-5 inches long. 



A black and brown Cantharid beetle, Mylahris sidiv, Fab., 

 was flying about flowers in the sunshine in large numbers. 

 The genus Precis was represented by orithyia and mnone ; 

 the genus Terias by hecabe, Iseta, and quite a number of 

 libythca. The inevitable Atclla plialanta, never very 

 common, and Belenois mesentina were to the front again. 

 Ganoris canidia was fairly common; I noted that a male had 

 a " snuffy scent." Single specimens of Ixias marianne, Cr., 

 and Hvphina nerissa, both males, were taken. Of Goto- 



