INDIAN BIRDS EATING BUTTERFLIES 285 



13. Records of Attacks on Butterflies by wild Birds 

 in India and Ceylon, by Colonel J. W. Yerbury, R.A. 



[Colonel Yerbury has kindly extracted from his notes 

 all the observations he has made bearing on this inter- 

 esting question. — E. B. P.] 



About the year 1884 a discussion arose in the Bombay 

 papers as to whether birds preyed on butterflies, and the 

 general opinion expressed was that it was comparatively 

 rare for them to do so. In common with some other 

 members of the Bombay Natural History Society, I deter- 

 mined to watch and note the results. My records taken 

 from old diaries are as follows : — 



1884. Neighbourhood of Poona and Aden. None. 



1885. September 23. Aden, Campbellpore, and Murree 

 Hills. Road up Thundiani, near the Kala Pani Bunga- 

 low. Saw a young king-crow, Dicrurus ater, stoop at 

 a big blue Papilio, either P. polyetor or P. areturus, and 

 miss it. The bird did not repeat the attempt. 



1886. September 2. Campbellpore, Thundiani, &c. 

 Road up Thundiani, near top of the hill. Saw a young 

 king-crow stoop at a specimen of Vanessa kaschmirensis^ 

 and after missing it once take it at the second attempt. 

 Did not notice whether the insect was eaten. 



1887. Rawul Pindi and home, via Japan and America. 

 None. 



1888-9. At home. 



1890. June. Ceylon, Trinkomali. No record. 



1891. November 14. On the Kandy Road between 

 Trinkomali and Kanthalai ; butterflies in great numbers 

 sitting on the wet mud by the roadside ; chiefly Pierinae 

 (Catopkaga), but a few P. nomius with them. These 

 butterflies rose in clouds as one drove past. A bee-eater, 

 Merops philippinus, kept flying in front of my carriage 

 and taking specimens of these butterflies as they rose. 

 The bird seemed to select the yellow females, which are 

 rare, the white females being to them probably in the 

 proportion of 100 to 1. These flocks of butterflies often 

 unite and form what are known as snowstorms in Ceylon ; 

 they then migrate right across the island. 



