54 
HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
(says a Rosetta correspondent). Five elands were 
sighted (three cows and two bulls), and after 
some manoeuvring the big bull was brought 
down, although it required nine shots to put him 
hors de combat. Ten pack horses were used to 
carrv the venison down from the mountains. 
A northern correspondent describes in the 
" Zoutpansberg Review'' a remarkable shooting 
feat on the veld near Messina. He relates that 
in the early morning of September 2nd Mr. 
G. J. v. d. Merwe, of San Souci, near Messina, 
found that twelve of his donkeys had disappeared 
from the kraal overnight. He went in search of 
them on horseback, taking a Lee-Metford rifle 
and eleven rounds of hard-nosed bullets. He had 
only gone about a mile when he suddenly came 
Upon six lions — three males and three females, 
all feeding on the carcass of one of the missing 
donkeys. He was only some fifty yards distant, 
but immediately dismounted and fired at one of 
the males, which was hit. The lion made for 
him, accompanied by one of the lionesses. Thirty 
yards away he fired a second shot, hitting the 
lion again. Still it came on, and within ten yards 
he fired a third shot which killed it. The lioness 
was then thirtv yards away, and making towards 
him. He fired and killed her. Another of the 
lions, in crossing a spruit, was broadside on to 
A'an der Merwe, who "let go" and killed it. 
Another lioness was following, and just as she 
turned he fired and killed her also. The remain- 
ing lion ran for about two hundred yards, stood, 
and looked round, and was brought down with 
one shot. At the same time and place Mr. van 
der Merwe also shot two hyaenas. All the skins 
were taken back as trophies. 
FOREIGN BUTTERFLIES IN 
CAPTIVITY. 
Wild dogs have again invaded the Gatooma 
district, this time paying a visit to Sabonabon 
farm, which is quite close to the town. The owner 
reported the loss of sheep, and the dogs were 
actually seen to chase and capture a small buck. 
As these pests appear somewhat to favour Gatoo- 
ma (suggests the "Chronicle" correspondent) it 
would not be a bad idea for 1 some of the local 
sportsmen to organise a hunt, and thus rid the 
district of these vermin, at least for a time. 
Bv F. Finn, B.A., F.Z.S. 
The shooting season in the Province of 
Transvaal for the animals and birds usually com- 
mences on the 15th April and ends on 31st August 
in everv rear 
The Tiger Swallow-tail (Jason iades glauc-as). 
This yellow American Swallow-tail is about three 
inches across, and is particularly interesting from 
the fact that the female is often black instead of 
yellow, reminding one of the brown "partridge" 
and buff "wheaten" hens of the black-breasted 
red game-cock. It did not lay freely with Mr. 
Floersheim, and although the caterpillars are sup- 
posed, unlike most Swallow-tail larvae, to feed 
on a variety of plants, the butterflies would only 
lay on Ptelea trifoliata, the American hop-tree. 
I fancy this is one of the species I have seen shown 
in former years at the Zoo. 
Papilio polyxenes and P. zolicaon were also 
tried, but they are so like our Swallow-tail that 
they would not, in my opinion, be worth bothering 
about. 
The Ajax Swallow-tail (Iphiclides ajax) is a 
fine American species about three inches across, 
heavily striped with black on a yellow ground, 
with blue and red spots on the hind wings. It 
is a free breeder, and does well in captivity, but 
will only lay on the papaw (Asimina triloba) a 
plant which is only half hardy in this country, 
so it is not very suitable for turning out. 
Among the Asiatic species Mr. Floersheim 
gives a good account of Papilio bianor, a splen- 
did black butterfly powdered with glittering green 
with the hind wings shaded with blue and bor- 
dered with blue and red spots; the female being 
green in the) ground colour, with a violet tinge in 
the blue. This seems to be; allied to the magnifi- 
cent P. krishna of the Himalayas, which I have 
seen and admired in a garden at Darjeeling, in a 
temperate climate. It feeds in the larva state on 
the Skimmia bush, which will grow 1 out of doors, 
lives and breeds well in the butterfly-house, and 
thrives at liberty as well. Next to the American 
philenor Mr. Floersheim considers it the best sub- 
ject for naturalization here. It suffers little from 
the attacks of other insects. 
Another splendid Asiatic is Papilio alcinous, 
black glossed with purple, and with red spots 
on the hinder wings. In the female, which is 
grown, these spots are pinkish white. This did 
well, but not so well as the American philenor, to 
which it is related; the females laid better at 
liberty than in the houses, choosing the "Dutch- 
man's Pipe" as the food plant for their future 
caterpillars. 
Papilio xuthulus is a black and yellow species 
with nothing very distinctive agout it, and Papilio 
