BUTTERFLIES 71 



near by. The scratching noises then located them- 

 selves on to the side table, in a card-board box. 



"Oh," I said, "it's only the locust! not a Bis- 

 cobra," and I went and opened the lid, and peeped 

 in, and there was my locust that we had caught at 

 Jeypore, out of a large cloud in which we had been 

 smothered, and intended sending home to the 

 Professor. It had just woke up, and was trying 

 to eat its way out ; and that was all I ever heard 

 of the Bis-cobra. We did get the locust home to 

 England all right, but not alive. Its appetite was 

 enormous. It finished off half a pear in a very few 

 minutes ; but it died, and was added to the butter- 

 flies that I had been collecting. The Burra Sahib 

 was so good as to take me out long delightful 

 drives into the jungle, sometimes, in those days ; 

 and then for hours, two white mushroom hats, and 

 two green long-handed nets would be seen, madly 

 rushing about after the beautiful peacock, brown 

 velvet, sulphur and white, and swallow - tailed 

 butterflies, whose names I know not; but which 

 were to be a joy to the C. S. and the Professor in 

 embryo ; the collection of which was their particular 

 craze just then. What enjoyment there was in 



