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A LIST OF THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE PALNI HILLS 

 WITH THE DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES. 



BY 



Capt. W. H. Evans, r. e. 

 With a Note on Migration by Mr. J. Evershed. 



The Palni Hills may roughly be described as situated between 

 the Nilgiris and Travancore and though excellent butterfly lists 

 from the latter districts have been published, no such information, 

 as far as I know, has ever been compiled for the Palnis. 



I do not propose to give a long description of the district nor am 

 I qualified to do so : intending visitors should obtain a ;: Guide to 

 Kodaikanal " from Combridge. Under present arrangements the 

 visitor to the Palnis leaves the S. I. R. at Kodaikanal Road station, 

 proceeds for 33 miles by motor bus or bullock cart to the " Tope " 

 bungalow at the foot of the hills (1,500 feet), and is then carried or 

 rides up the Ghat road for another 12 miles to Kodaikanal (7,000 

 feet). 



In Kodaikanal itself the blue gum and wattle has run riot and 

 ousted most of the indigenous jungle with the result that butterfly 

 life is not so prolific as it might be ; a few good butterflies may. 

 however, be picked up on the Downs and in Bombay Sholah. 

 Most of the neighbouring valleys below the station contain 

 '• Sholahs " , or patches of indigenous jungle in which butterflies 

 may be obtained; the best of these is Tiger Sholah, situated at 

 5,000 feet, with Perumal and Neutral Saddle beyond. It is, 

 however, in the jungles at the foot of the hills that butterflies 

 really abound : the first 6 miles up from the Tope forms an excellent 

 hunting ground, while the best place of all is the vicinity of the 

 third mile-stone (2,000) where a small stream crosses the road. 



My own experience was gained during a visit to Kodaikanal 

 from the end of August to the beginning of October 1909. Mr. 

 J. Evershed, of the Observatory, has sent me several useful notes 

 as well as a note on migration, which I venture to think will prove 

 of unusual interest. Dr. T. H. Campbell has given me the benefit 

 of his experience gained during the months of* May and June ; he 

 has also been through a collection belonging to Dr. Tracy. Dr. 

 Henderson, of the Madras Museum, kindly let me go through the 





