110 BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



trees and also on those of the tapia (Chrysopia sp.) shrub. 

 Another moth, somewhat like the silk-producing one in colour- 

 ing, has an extraordinary development of the hind wings, which 

 have long delicate tail-like appendages ; these have extremely 

 narrow shafts and are enlarged at the ends. Their points have 

 two spiral twists or folds, very graceful in appearance. There 

 are four distinct eye-like spots near the centre of each wing, 

 which are light buff in colour, with lemon-yellow. The insect 

 measures eight and a half inches from shoulder to point of tail, 

 and eight inches across the upper wings. It is allied to Troposa 

 teto. Some species of moth, very dark brown in colour, and 

 yet beautifully marked, often fly into our houses at night, the 

 female being much larger than the male. The Malagasy are 

 afraid of seeing these almost black-looking insects, which they 

 call lolom-pdty (" death-moths "), hi their houses, as they think 

 them presages of evil and death. Another moth, with death's- 

 head marking on its thorax, is also often seen. But the most 

 beautiful of the Malagasy lepidoptera is a diurnal moth, which 

 one would always call a butterfly viz. the Urania riphcea, a 

 large and lovely insect, with golden-green, crimson and black 

 markings, and edged all round its wings and tails with delicate 

 pure white. It is a curious fact that the nearest ally to this 

 Madagascar species is a native of Hayti and Cuba (U. sloana), 

 a remarkable instance of discontinuity of habitat. This fact, 

 however, has a parallel in the family of small insectivorous 

 animals called Centelidae, which are also confined to Madagascar 

 and some of the West India islands. During 1899 this butterfly 

 was unusually abundant, while in some seasons it is seldom 

 seen. At Isoavina I noticed a great many flying around the 

 tall blue-gum trees in the dusk of the evening. Great numbers 

 also were seen at Ambohimanga in the garden there. They 

 appeared to be intoxicated with the strong flavour of the nectar 

 from the loquat-trees, then in flower, so that almost any 

 quantity of them could have been captured in the early morning, 

 while still under the influence of the flowers, which have a 

 powerful scent of prussic acid. The Malagasy call it 

 Andrlandolo i.e. " king-butterfly." 



In these bare upper highlands of Madagascar butterflies are 

 not found in as great variety as in the warmer regions of the 

 island. Still there are a few species which are common enough, 



