616 MK. J. C. F. FRYEK, ON THE 



flycatcher and a drongo confined themselves to small insects, 

 in spite of the swarms of butterflies passing. 



December \st. Again visited the wood-swallows, bvit they left ofl" 

 feeding early ; the buttei'fly migration was larger, with a higher 

 percentage of Euploea. It was distinctly observed in one case that 

 the bird carried the butterfly, a Danais sej^tentrionis, to its perch 

 and then held it with its feet while it pulled the wings off with its 

 beak *. Watched the bee-eaters again, and saw one attack first 

 a Papilio agamemnon Linn, and then a Eujjlcea, but it missed 

 each time. They were continually hawking small insects, which 

 they presumably caught. No count could be made of discarded 

 wings, as all had been blown by a high wind into the river. 



December 2nd. Again watched the wood-swallows hunting. 

 The butterfly was always carried back to the perch before the 

 wings were removed, and it was noticed that portions of the wings 

 were often left on and eaten. . . . After failing in a stoop, the birds 

 I'arely made another at the same insect. . . . Butterflies at some 

 distance were usually taken, perhaps to allow the bird to attain 

 greater pace. ... If a butterfly noticed that it was being pursued, 

 it. at once dodged and, flying rapidly downwards, frequently 

 escaped. Wings were again collected : — 



Danais septentrionis : fore wings 35. 



D. limniace : „ ,, 4, 

 Euploea core: ,, ,,18. 



E. coreta : one whole insect and fore wings 10. 

 E. kollari : fore wings 4. 



Papilio pohjtes § roniulus: fore wing 1. 



December 7th. Wood-swallows hunting in the afternoon ; they 

 usually stop before midday. 



December 10th. A young Paradise flycatcher swooped at two 

 Papilio polytes, a J and a $ pohjtes form, which were flying round 

 inside a large breeding-cage, bvit of course could not get at them. 



December \^th. A drongo was seen to attack a Pap>ilio aga- 

 memnon and snap off a portion of the hind wings. The butterfly 

 escaped. 



1912. January Ist-Qth (at Maha Illupalama). Bee-eaters 

 were very common and butterflies, notably of the genera Cato- 

 psilia and Appias, were abundant. The only attack observed was 

 that of a bee-eater on a Leptosia xiphia Fabr., which was caught 

 and eaten. 



January \Qth (at Peradeniya). A drongo caught a Papilio 

 polytes $ cynts-form, which had just emerged and had escaped 

 from a breeding-cage. 



February llnd. A Pajnlio polytes 5 cyrus escaped fi'Oin a cage 

 and was eaten by a drongo ; it was flying very weakly, as one 

 wing was broken halfway down the costa. 



* Legge, 'Birds of Ceylon,' vol. ii. p. 668, states that tlie wood-swallow beats off 

 the wings of its prey. 



