638 Dr. G. B. Longstaff' s Bionomic Notes on Buiterfius. 



movement — up and down — of the two last-named has been 

 placed on record : yet it is often so marked as to enable 

 one to diagnose the insects at a considerable distance. At 

 Kandy late in the afternoon, when other butterflies were 

 getting scarce, P. aglca might often be seen slowly dancing 

 about in all directions. 



At the falls of the Zambesi I noted Papilio leonidas, 

 Fabr., as flying slowly " with the manner of a Danaid " ; 

 this made me suspect it to be a mimic, as I afterwards 

 found to be the case.* Mr. Marshall, who is quite familiar 

 with the insect, whereas I have seen but very few speci- 

 mens, speaks of P. leonidas as having a strong and rapid 

 flight, and always going straight ahead. f I think there 

 must have been some special circumstance that caused my 

 specimens to behave in an unusual manner. Certainly 

 its alleged model, Tirumala petiverana, did not put in an 

 appearance. 



The flight of Gcthosia nietncri, Feld., another Ceylon 

 butterfly, is I think about the slowest and feeblest that I 

 have observed, and this alike Avhether it be high up or 

 near the ground. (MS. notes.) The S. African Nymphaline 

 Salamis anacardii,!^^.!).,!?, another remarkably slow flier.ij: 



As a general rule tropical butterflies seem harder to 

 catch than British. Certainly this is not entirely to be 

 explained by the heat, nor even by swiftness of flight. 

 The slow-flying Mycalesis seldom moves far, and is for 

 that very reason hard to catch as it seldom gets quite 

 clear of the herbage amongst which it is found. Again 

 Elymnias often refuses to move more than two or three 

 yards when disturbed, yet is hard to catch because it will 

 not get clear of the bushes in the middle of which it loves 

 to flutter. A very different butterfly, the lovely blue 

 Ne'pheronia ceylanica, Felder, a quick flyer, often takes 

 refuge in bushes when pursued; Teracolus pucllaris, Butl., 

 has a similar habit. Belenois mescntina, Cram., and the 

 two common Indian species of Io:ias seem to spend much 

 of their time flying through and through thorn bushes.§ 



Three years ago || I called attention to the curious habit 

 of the $ Catophaga piaulina, Cram., of flying in strings as 

 though tied together by an invisible thread. I witnessed this 



* Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1907, p. 359. 



t Ihkl. 1902, p. 507. 



1 Ibid. 1906, p. 114 ; also Ibid. 1907, pp. 321, 322, 325. 



§ Ibid. 1905, pp. 75, 80, 89. 1| Ibid. p. 130. 



