378 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIJ \ 



widely to reveal two very striking black and yellow piipil-like markings on 

 their under surfaces. The whole aspect is like that of an owl's face and is 

 evidently intended to frighten off the all too-common lizard. At intervals 

 the wings are vibrated rapidly and produce a rustling noise which reminded 

 me of the charactei'istic rustling made by the Echis carinatas scales. I 

 managed to obtain a photograph of the insect standing on defence and this 

 when enlarged will give a very good idea of what I have described. On the 

 whole the fauna of this country closely resembles that of Lower Sind ; bird 

 life and animal life are interesting, especially the former, but I have not 

 sufficient technical knowledge to give a list of their names. 1 have bottled 

 a few lizards, one or more species of which, I am in hopes, will be new and 

 which I shall endeavour to send to the B. N. H. Society. 



J. C. FRASER, Capt., i.m.s., m.d., f.e.s. 

 Amarah, Ml/ 191-j. 



No. XXX, -OCCURRENCE OF RIMANTOPTERUS CAUBATUS, 

 MooKE, ON THE BABABUDIN HILLS. 



I believe it would interest systematists of Heterocera, especially those 

 working at some of the obscure and little known families, to note that in 

 June last while on a holiday collection trip to the Bababudin Hills, I hap- 

 pened to come across this lovely little Zygaenid moth. Specimens of these 

 were collected on two days in succession in broad day light during the 

 afternoon, each afternoon, being followed by a smart shower of rain in the 

 evening. The exact locality where i got them is Hirakkanmett Estate at 

 an elevation of 4,700 feet. On both occasions the insects were found flying 

 together in companies of eight and nine among bushes in a thickly wood- 

 ed and cool valley with a small streamlet flowing by the side, It was indeed 

 a beautiful sight to watch them flying high up in the air — neither at a rapid 

 nor at a lumbering speed — fluttering gently their whip-like wing tails and 

 showing the bright red and blue black markings alternately. When dis- 

 turbed, they fly high up in the air and it becomes a diflicult operation to get 

 at these even with a long handled net. 



So far as I know the following appear to be the important references to 

 the insect: Moore in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 1879 p. 

 394; Elwes in the Transactions of the Entomological Society for 1890 

 refers to this insect under the name of Thymara caudata, Moore, as having 

 been got from Burmah. Of course, Hampson refers to it in the Fauna 

 volume and puts down the distribution as the Nilgiris and Wynaad. 1 

 shall be glad to know whether any of the Society's members have collected 

 this insect anywhere else in Southern India and, if so, during what part of 

 the year and at which particular locality. 



I am sorry I had to suddenly leave the hills and thus lose the opportunity 

 of studying whatever was possible of the habits and life history of this very 

 interesting insect. 



T. V. RAMAKRISHNA AYYAR. 



Agkicultitral College, Coimbatore, 

 loth October 191-5. 



No. XXXI.— THE HOST PLANT OF THE SCALE INGLISIA 

 CHELOINOIDES, Green. 



In June last year I happened to come across this beautiful scale on 

 the common thorny plant, Farlwsonia ffcz</efff«, in the Agricultural College 



