ENEMIES OF BUTTEItFUES. 617 



March 6th. Noticed three wood-swallows sitting on the 

 telephone-wiies crossing the River Maha-Weliganga. They weie 

 hawking butterflies continually, and during the time they were 

 watched selected species of Etvplcea only from a passing migration 

 which consisted largely of Apjnas paiditia. A search for winsfs 

 failed, as the birds confined themselves entirely to the i-iver. The 

 reason for this seemed to be that the butterflies were only caught 

 with ease when away from cover ; among vegetation they dodged 

 their pursuers nine times out of ten. This fact was specially 

 evident during this migration, as species of Eujdoea and Danais 

 were uncommon, and the birds were often forced to swoop at 

 butterflies travelling along the river-bank instead of waiting for 

 individuals to come out into the open. 



March 8th. The migration of butterflies almost ended; but to 

 obtain confirmation, by a fresh witness, of the fact that wood- 

 swallows attack especially membei'S of the geneia Euplcta and 

 Danais, Alexander * and I watched three wood-swallows for an 

 hour, and we both plainly observed them eat over a dozen iiVf^tea 

 and one Danais. We also saw one bird with a Papilio, either 

 F. j^ohjtes 5 polytes or P. aristolochicB, but were unable to 

 ascertain which. As before, the birds usually carried the butter- 

 fly in the beak, though occasionally it was transferred to the 

 claws when the distance back to the perch was great. 



March I5th. Watched the wood-swallows for three-quarters of 

 an hour ; Appias spp. common, Euploea and Danais scarce. There 

 were only two birds feeding, one probably young, for when the 

 other caught a Danais aglcea Cram, the young one opened its 

 beak and fluttered its wings as if asking for food, though it 

 gained nothing by this proceeding. The old bird then ceased 

 feeding, but the other, possibly encouraged by the sight of the 

 Danais, worked steadily, soaring round in cii'cles over the river. 

 It caught five Euploeas out of seven attempts. 



March IQth. Watched a wood-swallow for a quarter of an hour 

 and saw it take two Euploeas. 



March I7th. Watched a wood-swallow from 11.30-12. It took 

 two Euploeas, but then seemed to have no room for more, as it sat 

 for a long time with the abdomen of the last victim protruding 

 from its mouth like a cigar. 



March 18th. In five minutes saw two wood-swallows take three 

 Euploeas and a Fapilio, either F. 2yolytes $ j9o/yies or P. arisio- 

 lochice, almost certainly the former. 



March 22nd. Species of Euploea and Danais abundant on 

 migration. A wood-swallow picked out tw'o Danaids {D. limniace 

 and D. sepitGntrionis) and then a Euploea, after which it stopped 

 feeding. 



March 23rd. Watched the wood-swallo-v<''^s from 11.40 a.m. -12 ; 

 two were under observation most of the time, occasionally foui-. 

 They took six specimens of Eiqiloea and two D. sp.ptentrioons. 



* Mr. Alexander, Assistant Curator of the Perth Museum, VV.A., to whom I am 

 indebted for much critical assistance durina: his hrief visit to the island. 



