ENEMIES OF BUTTERFLIES. t>15 



Catopsilia {G. crocale Ciam. with a few G. pyranthe Linn.), 

 Fajnlio polytes, P. ja^on Linn., P. nomius Esper, and P. hector 

 Linn. Bee-eatei^s [Merojys sp. ?) were common, but were only 

 observed to chase buttei'flies (P. jason, Ajipias sp.) on three 

 occasions, each attempt being unsuccessful. Wings of all the 

 above butterflies were found occasionally along the roads, but not 

 in any numbei*. 



November 1'bth (at Peradeniya). A drongo seen to take a 

 Papilio polytes $ romulus, which was flying badly. 



November 29fA. A number of wings of Euploea and Banais 

 found on the ground in the garden. The only birds seen near 

 were wood-swallows {^Artamus fuscus Yieill.). The wings iden- 

 tified were : — Euploea core Cram., fore wings 6 ; E. kollari Feld., 

 fore wings 2 ; E. coreta God., fore wing 1 ; Danais septentrionis 

 Butl., fore wings 5, hind wings 3. 



November 30th. Spent an hour, 11 a.m.-I 2, watching the wood- 

 swallows hawking butterflies, which appeared to be forming their 

 sole food. The birds sat on the top branches of a leafless tree, 

 and swooped out after their prey, usually efl^ecting a capture. 

 The successful attempts were estimated at two out of three. The 

 butterfly was carried to the perch and the wings there discarded. 

 Butterflies on migration were extremely abundant, and indi- 

 viduals of the genus Gatopsilia were perhaps most numerous, 

 though Euplojas, Danaids, Papilio polytes and P. demoleus Linn. 

 were all quite common. The wood-swallows limited themselves 

 almost entirely to Euploeas and Danaids, only three swoops at 

 Gatopsilia and one at Papilio demoleus being observed, and these 

 were all failures. The majority of the discarded wings were 

 blown into the river, but the following were collected, practically 

 all of which must have fallen during the morning. 



Result : — Danais septentrionalis : fore wings 61, hind wings 9. 



Eupl(Ea core : fore wings 48. 



E. coreta : „ ,, 29. 



E. kollari : „ ,, 6. 



Euplceine hind wings 9, fragments 4. 



Papilio demoleus : fragments 2. 



P. polytes d or $ cy7-ics-iorin * : fragments 7 

 (2 fore wings). 



P. polytes $ romulus : fragments 5 (3 fore wings). 



P. polytes 2 polytes: hind wing 1. 



The predominance of fore wings is explained by their greater 

 weight, hind wings being blown fui'ther. 



A pair of bee-eeters were feeding near the wood-swallows. 

 Most of their attacks were on small insects ; but four attem^^ts 

 on Gatopsilia and two on Papilio demole^ts were noted, all 

 of which failed. These bee-eaters were either unskilful or 

 only amused themselves with butterflies. A young Pai'adise 



* Papilio polytes 9 t'.'/J'MS-fonii resembles the J . 



