exhibited and illustrated hy a lantern slide the examples 

 enclosed in the following letter from Mr. W. A. Lamborn. 

 The method of transport had not caused any deterioration, 

 and the marks of the bird's beak at the base of the wings 

 were quite, clear. The other material described in the letter 

 had not as yet been received, but it was thought better to 

 make the letter public without delay in order that the new 

 method of investigation might be known and pursued as 

 soon as possible. 



" Karonga, Nyasalnnd, 



" 10th December, 1919. 



"... As a result of two thunderstorms the buds are 

 bursting, and with the appearance of flowers butterflies have 

 become more numerous, especially Catopsilia florella, which 

 must, I feel sure, have come by migration, for they have not 

 been breeding hereabouts, the food-plant having been leafless 

 till recently, and there have been none about. Being inter- 

 ested in the question of their sex colour in various localities 

 I have kept a special look-out for them. Just outside my 

 verandah is a Pomciana regia (Flamboyant Tree), about 

 20 ft. in lieight, just now forming a crimson blaze of open 

 flowers though the leaves are still very small; and this is 

 attracting a host of insects — various Sphingids, especially 

 Nephele, at dusk. Chafers and other beetles when it is dark, 

 Hymenoptera, especially Vespids, in the early morning, and 

 when the sun is high Cato'psilia in considerable numbers, 

 this being the only species of butterfly at all abimdant as yet. 

 Underneath the tree I have found frequently, during the last 

 few days, the wings of the butterfly, and the question as to 

 what has been the destructive agent has engaged my atten- 

 tion. Lizards are out of the question : I have studied the 

 tree thoroughly and there are none : neither have I seen here 

 except very rarely any of a size sufficient to be able to tackle 

 a butterfly. The wings collected also do not any of them 

 exhibit the kind of damage one associates with lizards — the 

 base chewed off, much of the wing denuded of scales, crumpled 

 and showing numerous tooth punctures. Birds being the only 

 possible agents, and the early morning when they are still 

 hungry being the most likely time to make any observations, 



