116 Dr. G. B. LongstafFs Notes on the Butterflies 



used or not, it needs, as Solomon put it, to be " plenty hot." 

 It was indeed hot enough for most Europeans, but not up 

 to the exacting butterfly standard. However, next day 

 the conditions were more favourable, and I found near 

 what was left of Solomon's decoys a number of "whites" 

 and " orange-tips." Accordingly I put down a few more 

 decoys and walked away. After spending some time in 

 vain endeavours to catch the conspicuous Heuomma glau- 

 cippe, L.— giant of orange-tips — which was careering wildly 

 about in all directions, I returned to the decoy-place and 

 sat down just within the reach of my six-feet net-stick, 

 Catophaga paulina were there in abundance, but all males, 

 mostly sitting quite close together, almost touching, with 

 wings erect so that the " hook-tip " of the fore-wing was 

 very conspicuous ; in another cluster close by were from 

 six to eight Ixias marianne. 



It will perhaps give some idea of the numbers when I 

 say that I quite easily netted five C, paulina in one swoop, 

 and seven in another. 



Then Hebomoia glaucippe came along, reconnoitred the 

 position with great circumspection, and settled warily for a 

 second or two, but darted swiftly off at the least movement 

 on my part. Nevertheless, with care and patience, I 

 managed to secure a couple of specimens. My old friend 

 Papilio eriihonius came next and soon settled down a short 

 distance away from the " whites," he was shortly followed 

 by another and yet another : they all settled close together, 

 within a hand's-breadth, forming an exclusive community 

 and continued to drink steadily. All at once a blue-green 

 flash, and Papilio telephus, Feld., sailed close past me ; again 

 rind again he came, and finally, looking askance at the 

 vulgar assemblage of " whites " and " orange-tips," settled 

 quite close to the P. erithonius, evidently preferring their 

 more select company. This occurred several times. P. 

 telephus, when settled with wings erect, displayed an 

 unexpected beauty, for, in place of the ebony and emeralds 

 on the upper-surface, it shows beneath nothing but sheeny 

 mother-of-pearl picked out with tiny rubies. By patient 

 watching and judicious swooping I secured three specimens, 

 and, be it remembered, these were all I saw that day. So 

 much for water ; what share the decoys had in my success 

 it is hard to say, but Mr. E. E. Green, of Peradeniya, told 

 me that decoys were efficacious, and Mr. Denton, of Regent 

 Street, says that he has used even paper decoys with success. 



