Observed in a tour through India and Ceylon. 123 



more or less symmetrical. Delias eucharis was scarce, 

 C'atophaga paidina more common. In one case I saw a 

 bird try to catch a specimen of the latter on the wing ; 

 the bird missed its quarry, but I was more successful ; it 

 proved to be a male. 



The Danaids were well to the front, the commonest 

 species being Paralitica ceylonica ; it is smaller and greyer 

 than Tirumala limniaee and varies considerably in size, a 

 small male measuring only 2*5 in., a large female as much 

 as 3'4 in. across the wings. It was curious that this 

 species became quite abundant late in the afternoons, as 

 other things were retiring. I was surprised to find that a 

 male when fluttering in the net gave out a strong scent 

 like that of Orastia core, i.e. very like acetylene. This 

 was noted in two or three specimens, and was quite un- 

 mistakable. Danais septentrionis, Butl., appeared to be 

 rather common. A female has the hind-wings much 

 broken, perhaps from the bite of a lizard, but the breakage 

 is only in part symmetrical. Limnas genutia, of which I 

 took a very small one, was very scarce, and I did not see 

 L. ehrysippus at all. The genus Crastia was represented 

 by many individuals. I took five C. asela, Moore ; of one 

 of them I noted at the time, " has a scent as in core." 



Bub the most prominent group of butterflies at Kandy 

 was assuredly the Papilionidm ; I met with six species. The 

 most remarkable was Ornithoptcra darsius, Gray, peculiar, 

 I believe, to Ceylon, an insect that I had greatly wanted 

 to take ; it appears to be fairly common, as I saw two at 

 Peradeniya, seven or eight at Kandy, and two at Haragama. 

 It sails about somewhat slowly and in a dignified manner, 

 looking very distinguished in its rich yellow-and-black 

 livery and impressive by its size, five and a half to six inches 

 expanse of wings ! When it comes within reach it is not 

 hard to catch, and I secured two males and a female, but it 

 is a formidable-looking creature in the net, with a thorax 

 suggestive of a Bombyx. Mr. Freedley told me that the 

 males have a scent like sassafras, but I learned this too 

 late for confirmation. The male Papilio pammon was 

 common enough, one specimen was unusually small, mea- 

 suring under three inches. Two specimens of P. aristo- 

 lochiss (a distasteful butterfly) were brought home ; one of 

 them has the tips of the hind-wings up to the tails bitten 

 off quite symmetrically, thus much resembling the muti- 

 lated specimen of P. hector taken at Kallar. Of the tailless 



