158 Mr. C. B. Williams' Records of 



No further particulars are given, but in answer to an inquiry 

 Prof. Lefroy kindly sent me the following- information : 

 " My reference was badly worded in ' Indian Insect Life.' 

 I saw the case myself in St. Vhicent when I was proceeding 

 in the ' passage boat ' along the coast from the port 

 [Kingston] to the neighbourhood of Soufriere. I was then 

 after the arrowroot skipper, and noted this migration, 

 many butterflies flyiug steadily from the land over the sea 

 in one direction. I have forgotten the geography, but I 

 imagine they were flying east." 



With the help of Mr. H. A. Ballou I have seen Lefroy's 

 original report on this visit to St. Vincent, in which he 

 says : " I observed many flying over the sea at a distance 

 of half a mile from the shore, proceeding along the coast. 

 Large numbers were flying about the fields and roads, and 

 they could be seen laying eggs in the fields of arrowroot " 

 ("St. Vincent Gazette," 27th September, 1901). 



Another outbreak of this insect is referred to in the 

 " Report of the Department of Agriculture in St. Vincent 

 for the year ending 31st March, 19U7," p. 13, where it is 

 stated : " The cultivation suffered a good deal during the 

 early part of the year [ ? 1906] from attacks of the arrow- 

 root worm." One estate is mentioned as having its yield 

 reduced from 700 to 500 barrels of starch. 



In the report of the same Department for 1912-13, p. 15, 

 it says : " In most fields seen the degree of infestation was 

 not severe, nor were the adults observed in great numbers 

 except on one field on the windward side, where in passing 

 in the early morning enormous numbers of adults were 

 seen flying." 



This note is of considerable importance in connection 

 with the previously mentioiied records of its flight at dusk, 

 and these umisual hours of flight might account for the lack 

 of more frequent records of its movements. 



In 1913-14 the insect " was in evidence, but did little 

 damage." In 1914-15 " Arrowroot was agaui attacked 

 somewhat severely in the Leeward district " (Report 1914- ' 

 15, p. 8), and in 1915 the insect caused extensive defolia- 

 tion in some districts. " After a time large numbers of 

 parasites appeared, and there was a gradual reduction in 

 the pest until none were seen. The first outbreak occurred 

 in May 1915, and the parasites reared comprised three 

 sj)ecies of Tachinid flies. No egg parasites were discovered 

 during this outbreak. A second outbreak followed in' 



