252 MR. H. J. ELWES ON BUTTERFLIES FROM [Apr. 21, 



feet. Afterwards T found it ou the western side of Japoo, at 

 7000-8000 feet, and between these two places we got one or two 

 every day. At Mao, in Manipur, I have taken worn specimens at 

 7500-9000 feet. My Lepchas, who collected at Buxa, in Bhutan, 

 say there is no chance of another brood. Strange to say, I have 

 never seen a female. The Butterfly drifts about among the tree- 

 tops, rarely descending to the ground ; the crimson of the hind 

 wings is not so conspicuous as one might think, and if one loses 

 sight of it for an instant it is very hard to make out again, its 

 transparent dark grey wings being hardly distinguishable among 

 the shadows, and it is blown about by the wind, more like a dead 

 leaf than a living insect. Its flight is much like that of Hestia, but 

 less buoyant and circling, as might be expected from its angular 

 wings ; nevertheless its resemblance strikes one. Seen from above 

 it must be much more conspicuous, and is no doubt a protected 

 insect ; at the same time its weak flight may even add to its chance 

 of escape, as it certainly does with Hestia, for it is impossible to 

 calculate the direction in which it is making. The whole body and 

 wings give out a delicious odour, which remains for some days after 

 death. In some positions and at some distance Armandia looks 

 like Danais tytia, which is very common in the same places. 

 Armandia hovers about flowers, like other Papilios. During rain it 

 alights on a leaf, and droops its fore wings over the hind ones, thus 

 covering the bright colours. Several were taken in this way ; but I 

 confess I only caught one myself, as I have not the patience to do 

 as my men do, and watch one of these lovely things for hours and 

 follow it over these steep jungly hills, on the very small chance of 

 catching it finally. Falls, leeches, and torn clothes are the only 

 things you can count on, but there is a fair chance of a fall into a 

 tiger-pit. I came very near staying permanently on Kohoni, having 

 fallen into one of these pits yesterday whilst chasing an Armandia. 

 I can usually detect one of these pits by the broken twig that marks 

 it, but this was an old one overgrown with weeds and away from any 

 path. It was like a cistern, 12 feet deep, roofed over with logs, 

 leaving but a small opening, so that if a deer or pig is caught 

 and the tiger is hungry, he jumps in and cannot get out. I 

 thought I was gone, for there was no chance of being found there, 

 and it seemed quite impossible to get out. It took me 8 hours 

 hard work to do it. I made steps up the side with my knife, and 

 contrived to hang somehow at the top beneath the roof. After 

 trying three sides I saw a small stout stick six feet from the opening, 

 and after several hours succeeded in pulling it to me with my broken 

 butterfly-net ; then I put it across the opening and with great 

 difficulty swung myself out, and I came home in the dark, very 

 thankful to have escaped. The Nagas are not afraid of these pits, 

 as they go nowhere alone ; but they have another sort of trap of 

 which I have a perfect horror, and so have they. It consists of 

 great stones hung from trees, and set free by a vine across the path, 

 crushing any animal which touches it. Each village has its own 

 traps, and every child knows their positions. For fear of these 



