9uf5 [November, 



could find nothing on their margins, on a hasty examination. Next 

 day (21st), we commenced coaling ship at 6 a.m., but I managed to 

 get away for the day after 9, and, with a messmate, went for a trip by 

 rail to a place called " Mount Lavinia," about eight miles to the south- 

 ward of Colombo : while waiting for our train I managed to catch 

 several useful butterflies, among them the common but beautiful red- 

 spotted Pieris Epichmns. Except for the first mile, the line ran along 

 the sea-beach, a very few yards above high-water mark, there being 

 nothing inland except the eternal cocoa-nut groves. On our arrival 

 at " Mount Lavinia," we first refreshed ourselves at the commodious 

 hotel there (in the grounds of which I took Messaras, Elymnias, sp., 

 and Eiiplcea, sp.), and then went off inland in search of a good 

 collecting-ground, which, as yesterday, we failed to find, every good 

 looking sbad}^ path leading sooner or later to a cluster of native huts, 

 or to a cinnamon grove ; the country about here must be very thickly 

 inhabited. In the sunny roads butterflies were not scarce, though 

 tremendously wild and active ; we both had some exciting chases after 

 fine Papilios {Polymnestor, &c.), but succeeded in catching only one 

 P. Agamemnon, and one P. Pammon, the latter much worn and torn ; 

 there seemed to be no attractive flowers anywhere ; we took a few 

 Callidryas, some nice LycwnidcE (including many Theclcs), &c. ; in 

 the shady places a black and greenish-white Danais was not uncommon, 

 but seldom in fine order. Coleoptera were scarce, but I took a Cicindela, 

 very like one of the Gibraltar species (sinuata), in sandy places: I 

 took also a huge Helix, nearly twice the size of H. pomatia. 



We "crossed the line" (with the time-honoured ceremonies) in 

 long. 91° 38' E., on May 2nd, and after a very good passage from 

 Colombo, entered the Straits of Sunda on the morning of the 6th, 

 passing close to the famous volcanic island of Krakatoa, of which we 

 had a very good view. The day being fine, the sight of the luxuriantly 

 wooded coast of Java w^as very pleasing ; it is certainly a very fine 

 island. We anchored in Batavia roads the same evening, and this 

 morning (7th) went into the artificial harbour of Taujong Priok, seven 

 miles east of Batavia, where we remain until the morning of the 9th, 

 on which day w^e leave for Koepang (Timor). I am sorry that our 

 stay here is to be so brief, as all our time will be taken up with 

 coaling, &c., and I doubt if I shall even be able to get up to Batavia. 

 The country here, although most luxuriantly vegetated, looks flat and 

 swampy, and very suggestive of malaria ; I had an hour or two on 

 shore with my net to-day, and caught a few odd-and-eud butterflies 

 {^Pieris Uyparete, &c.), but nothing out of the way. Lyccena hcstica 

 and Deiopeia pulchella seem very common. 



H. M. S. " Penguin :" 



May 3rd, 1890. 



