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Forest, he was much struck with the fact that Apatura tris showed a 
marked predilection for settling on fir-cones that had been moistened 
by a fine rain in the morning. 
Melvill reports that on June 26th, 1882, whilst walking from Visp 
to Zermatt, soon after passing Stalden the road crossed a small 
mountain stream. Here disported a perfect flock of Aporia crateg?. 
A step or two farther on he saw what at first sight seemed to be a 
living and moving white flower in the road, but it dispersed and flew 
off in various directions at his approach, with the exception of three 
or four individuals which he carefully watched upon perceiving that 
they were feasting with extended probosces on the juices of a fallen 
comrade of their own species that had been evidently trodden under 
foot that morning. ‘These three or four it was impossible to drive 
away, they only flew a yard or so and then returned. 
As I have before pointed out, one of the most difficult insects to 
capture on the wing is Zzythea ce/tis, yet, on the Mendelstrasse, Dr. 
Chapman and Mr. Lemann captured several specimens by making a 
large puddle in the road, to which the thirsty creatures came to 
drink. 
De Nicéville gives some interesting facts relating to this habit in 
“The Butterflies of Sumatra,” and also to the fondness of certain 
species for the neighbourhood of streams. With regard to the latter 
he says, “The beautiful Parthenos gambrisius is found not only in the 
high forest, but also in small strips of forest and jungle always 
accompanying the smaller streams. It is very fond of, and is only 
found near water. In a boat journey up the Bedagei river, both 
banks of which were covered with the flowers of a snow-white lily, 
Martin noticed P. gambrisius settling in considerable numbers on the 
flowers—a beautiful sight for a lover of nature.” The same author 
states that the specimens of the common Ffestia lynceus are nearly 
always seen in pairs, and are very fond of flying over the small 
streams so common in the forests of Sumatra ; and Martin says that 
all the Zeuxidias are met with only in the high forest, near small 
streams whose borders are clothed with bamboos. Wallace also 
notices the fondness of some Brazilian species of the large blue 
Morphos for water, observing how they flitted over the water of the 
river Capine or settled on the leaves by the river bank. 
With regard to the drinking habit itself, De Nicéville says, 
“Even the wary Aze//a sinha is often caught when settled on a moist 
spot in a forest road ;” whilst of the interesting Cyz¢hia erototdes he 
says, ‘‘’he males are exceedingly abundant, and are to be found all 
the year round in forest roads, where they congregate around moist 
spots, and to which they will return if disturbed ; the females are as 
rare as the males are common, and are only to be found in the 
forest. That there is any actual disparity in the numbers of the 
sexes 1s improbable, but it is clear that the habits of the male bring 
him into much greater prominence.” Other Sumatran species that 
have this habit strongly developed are Limenitis procris, Athyma 
