174j L. de Niceville — List of the Butterflies of Ceylon. [No. 3, 



possess of this well-worked group. Among the more interesting ques- 

 tions to which local entomologists might well direct attention is the 

 study of the various local forms with the allied South Indian species. 

 The genus Girrhochroa, for instance, is in an unsatisfactory state. The 

 limits of the genus Terias will remain undefined indefinitely unless some 

 entomologist will devote himself to a series of breeding experiments, 

 which should not be difficult as the species are easily observed and reared. 

 Our conclusions regarding the few species found in Ceylon even with 

 Mr. Green's and Mr. Ormiston's help are yet far from complete. The 

 genus Aphnssus requires much close observation before it can be de- 

 finitely stated how many species occur in the Island. Mimicry does not 

 occur to any marked degree, to nothing like the same extent as it does 

 for instance in the Sikhim forests, where butterfly life is far more 

 abundant and the struggle for existence all the more keen. The best 

 examples of one species mimicing another is the female of HypoUmnas 

 misippus, Linnseus, mimicing Danais chrysippus, Linnaeus, and of the 

 Prioneris mentioned above ; and that of mimicing a natural object, Kallima 

 philarcTius, Westwood, a member of the well-known " oakleaf " genus, 

 resembling an oak or perhaps better a chestnut leaf. 



The list is largely founded on Moore's " Lepidoptera of Ceylon," 

 vols. I and III, which is likely to be the standard work on Ceylon butter- 

 flies for some years yet to come. We have therefore noticed where the 

 nomenclature now differs from the time, nearly twenty years ago, when 

 Moore's work was published, and have also intimated where we have 

 differed from Moore's determinations, so that local entomologists may 

 bring their " Lepidoptera of Ceylon " up to date. That work enu- 

 merates 252 species ; of these we have removed several as being syno- 

 nyms of other species or from errors in record. "We have, on the other 

 hand, added 12, bringing the total number up to 228, and we do not 

 think this is likely to be greatly exceeded. We have to thank many 

 local entomologists for help most readily accorded. To Mr. F. M. 

 Mackwood, our Nestor in the science, we are greatly indebted, as he has 

 ungrudgingly given us the result of his many years' experience. Mr. 

 Green of Punduloya and Mr. Ormiston of Haldummulle have given 

 us valuable notes and a large number of specimens, and Mr. Pole of 

 Chilaw has been most obliging in sending us notes and presenting us 

 with considerable numbers of specimens from the more inaccessible and 

 arid portion of the island. 



Mr. de Niceville would especially desire to bring prominently to the 

 notice of lepidopterists in Ceylon the importance of carrying out a 

 series of experiments in breeding butterflies of several genera occurring 

 in the island, notably Mycalesis, Girrhochroa, Aphnseus, Terias and Appias. 



