P reduction of Mimdic Ecscmllanccs among Butterjties. 369 



haeticus : Major Nurse, " Journ. Bomb. Soc," xv, p. 849 

 (India). 

 25 bis. Mcrops leschenauUi, Vieill. (Lesclienault's Bee- 

 Eater). " These birds never eat the wings of butter- 

 flies. You see one of them swoop on to a butterfly 

 close at hand ; then you hear a little click of the bill, 

 and as the bird flies off the pair of wings come 

 slowly fluttering to the ground" : W. Davison, "Stray 

 Feathers," vi, 1878, p. 68. 



26. Mclittophagiis sivinhoci, Hume (Swinhoe's Bee-Eater). 



(«) " Frequently capture Catopsiliae, especially when 

 these butterflies are travelling in thousands along the 

 river-valleys " (F. Lewis) : R. Trimen, Proc. Ent. Soc. 

 1897, p. xci (Ceylon).— (&) " The butterflies hawked 

 and eaten by the Bee-Eaters belong to the follow- 

 ing species, Painlio erithonius, P. smpcdon, Charaxes 

 athamas, Cyrestis thyodamas, and Terias hecabe. A 

 meagre list, for I am certain I saw the Bee-Eaters 

 swoop for and catch Prioneris, Hchomoia, Junoaia and 

 Precis. I also particularly noticed that the bii'ds 

 never went for a Danais or Euploea, or for Pa/pilio 

 7)iacareus and P. xenodes, which are mimics of Danais, 

 though two or three species of Danais, four or five of 

 Euploca, and the two above-mentioned mimicking 

 Papilios simply swarmed along the whole road " : 

 Lt.-Col.C. T. Bingham, Trans. Ent. Soc, 1902, p. 362 

 (Burma). 



27. Coracias indicus, L. (Indian Roller). Observed catch- 

 ing butterflies in India : Major Nurse, " J. Bomb. Soc," 

 XV, p. 349. 



28. Coracias affinis, McCl. (Burmese Roller). " Ataran 



River, 30, ii, 1881. Saw a Coracias affinis fly to a 

 tree holding a Cyrestis thyodamas in its mouth " 

 Lt.-Col. C T. Bingham (note from diary). 



29. Halcyon smyrncnsis, L. (White-breasted Kingfisher). 



{a) "Very common, feeding indiscriminately on fresh- 

 er salt-water fish, crabs, beetles and butterflies. I 

 have seen them capture these last in the manner of 

 flycatchers (Muscicapidae), darting from a sprig and 

 seizing them in the air " : E. L, Layard, " Ann. Mag. 

 N. H." (2) xii, 1853, p. 172 (Ceylon).— (i) "I have 

 observed one launch out from a high tree, in the 

 manner described by Layard, on a butterfly": Capt. 

 Legge, " Birds of Ceylon," i, p. 300 (1878). 



