614 MR. ,1. C. F. FRYER ON THE 



and also, in my experience, by a greater quantity of butterflies 

 and other insect life than can usually be found in the hills. 



The notes are given in chronological order, and are extracted 

 from my journal practically without alteration, as this method, 

 though possibly wearisome, places a check on the personal pre- 

 judices of the observer, the introduction of which it is difficult to 

 avoid in a mere summary of results. 



Peradeniya. 



1911. Aj?ril 7th. A drongo* took a Papilio jjolytes Linn. S , 

 which could hardly fly, as it had only just emerged ; it then 

 caught a Melanitis ismene Cram., also released soon after it had 

 left the pupa. 



April Ind-^th. General note that "drongos were only observed 

 to take small butterflies, chiefly Yphthhna ceylonica Hewit., 

 Lycsenicis, and occasionally Precis iphita Cram." " Of the various 

 attempts quite one out of two missed their object, while in many 

 cases the swoop at a butterfly seemed to be taken more for amuse- 

 ment than to gain food." " Paradise fly-catchers {Terpsephone 

 paradisi Linn.) being more retiring, were harder to observe ; they 

 certainly took Yjjhthima ceylonica and small Lycsenids, but were 

 not observed to attack anything large." [This week, April 2nd- 

 9th, was spent mainly in bird observations, and the above is the 

 residt.] 



April \^th. A drongo was seen to attack Catopsilia pyranthe 

 Linn., but apparently without success. 



May 9th. A drongo was seen to take an Yphthima ceylordca in 

 the garden. . . . Three drongos chased a Papilio parinda Moore, 

 but did not catch it. . . . Two bulbuls {Molpastes hoimorrhous Gm.) 

 chased an orange-coloui'ed moth, probably Argina sp., but lost it. 



Jtme 25th. A Paradise fly-catcher swooped at a Limenitis 

 calidasa Moore, which escaped. 



July 9th. A magpie-robin {Copsychus saidaris Linn.) took a 

 specimen of the Chalcosiid moth, Heterusia cingala Moore t, and 

 flew away with it. 



October \^th. A drongo chased a Papilio parinda, but lost it. 



October \9th. A drongo caught a Papilio polytes S , and ate it. 



October list. A scanty P. -polytes migration for the last three 

 days. ... A drongo swooped at a P. polytes $ form polytes%, but 

 missed it. Many females of the roimdus form § with the entire 

 hinder portion of the hind wings missing. 



November \st-\bth (at Yavonia-Valunkulam). A continual 

 migration of Appias {A. paulina Cram, and A. albina Boisd.), 



* Throughout, the word "drong:o" is used for either Dicrurus leucopygialis 

 Blyth, or I). ccBrulescens Linn. The former was more common ; but the species 

 in most cases was not ascertained. 



f This should undoubtedly be an " inedible " species, as it has all the Chalcosiid's 

 nauseous characters to a marked degree. 



X P- polytes 9 poli/tes resembles Papilio aristolochiee Fahr. 



§ P. poli/tes $ romuhis resembles Papilio hector Linn. Both P. aristolocliice 

 and P. hector are common Ceylon insects. 



