122 LEPIDOPTERA IXDICA. 



white, may be observed during tlie hottest part of the day rushing in an impetuous 

 flight across the country, drawn by some irresistible instinctive impulse, and im- 

 patient of any obstruction in their headlong course ; even ascending hills of 

 6,000 feet elevation, and descending again ; striking like animated snow-flakes 

 against any one meeting them in their course ; and then, after passing the 

 obstruction, making on with the same pertinacity as before towards where they are 

 hurrying to, until the failure of sunshine arrests their progress for the day, to be 

 continued probably on succeeding days until the wondrous furor has exhausted 

 itself. By the superstitious natives these marvellous movements of white butterflies 

 are attributed to a desire on the part of the insects to do homage to the footstep of 

 Buddha on Adams Peak, moved, as the native himself is, to do so at certain times 

 of the year. But the phenomenon itself, apart from the native idea, is well worthy 

 of study by any one who has time and opportunities to devote to it. Tt would be 

 interesting to ascertain, firstly, Avhence these butterfly hosts come and where their 

 feeding grounds when in the larval state; secondly, to determine if the immense 

 numbers of these butterflies, which have halted for the night, wake up in the early 

 morning to continue their course in exactly the same direction as on the previous 

 day, and at what hour the i-esumed movement commences ; and thirdly, to ascertain 

 if, during the time their progress is arrested by night, many fall a prey to the attacks 

 of bii'ds, bats, lizards, etc., to an extent to reduce their numbers very considerably, 

 and how their eventual disappearance is to be accounted for. I should remark that 

 amongst the main body of these travelling white butterflies, small groups of half a 

 dozen individuals or more may be observed, which in strings of sequence, looking as 

 if playing ' follow my leader,' have a very pretty appearance. In some portions of 

 the country in their line of flight, where shallow water may be lying, large numbers 

 of these white butterflies may be seen quenching their thirst on the damp ground, 

 and flying up when disturbed in quite a startling cloud." Mr. T. J. Mann writes 

 (Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. June, 1895), " I observed Catojjhaga Galeae, in Ceylon, 

 migrating in thousands across the northern part of the Island during March and 

 April, 1859, in a direction from N.E. to S.W. The movement commenced about 

 7 a.m., and lasted until noon, when it decreased, and was renewed in the afternoon 

 for another two hours." Dr. N. Manders, in Mr. de Niceville's List of Cejdon 

 butterflies (Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, 1899, 172), remarks, "After the initial heavy 

 rains, butterflies start afresh in November, December, and January, and it is iu 

 these months more especially, though to a slighter extent at the beginning of the 

 S.W. Monsoon in June, that the extraordinary migratory flights of butterflies take 

 place. These flights are perfectly amazing and scarcely credible. At Colombo, 

 where Dr. Manders has more particularly noticed them, the direction of the flight is 

 always northerly and principally along the sea shore, possibly the more readilj' to 



