36 
INDIA AND CEYLON 
in a “ tonga,” or post-cart, by a wild-looking hillman who handled 
the ponies magnificently. To one fresh from Europe the sights on 
the road were truly marvellous : natives in divers strange costumes, 
or lack of costume, long trains of wagons drawn by handsome 
humped oxen, or by buffaloes, surely the most uncouth of all 
domesticated beasts; flocks of goats and herds of cattle; strings of 
pack-mules bedecked with red wool tassels, often with necklaces 
of turquoise-blue beads, but always tinkling with many bells, and, 
to crown all, long lines of solemn camels, always hideous, yet always 
picturesque and strangely fascinating. However, amid all these 
strange sights there was one other which interested me, if possible, 
even more; I mean the multitude, the variety, and above all the 
beauty of the Butterflies. The first sight of such a thing as the big 
Hypolimnas holina, Linn., black, flashing with violet-blue, excited an 
emotion better imagined than described. At all events, the creatures 
took me fairly by storm : collect I must! 
The resources of the bazar at Simla only produced a child's 
butterfly-net, a mere toy, scarce twelve inches in diameter and of 
a vile, pale yellow colour. Armed with this and a tin cigarette-box 
filled with triangular envelopes I took the field. To this scanty 
equipment was shortly added a cyanide bottle. It was two long 
months before the toy-net was superseded by an umbrella-net from 
Watkins and Doncaster. This last is a very convenient weapon for 
use in towns, or when travelling or sight-seeing. It is inconspicuous 
when rolled up, but can be quickly brought into action; it is, how¬ 
ever, inadequate for serious tropical work. In Calcutta I purchased 
a large Y-net with jointed canes, and had it fitted to the end of a 
landing-net stick made in two pieces that were six feet long when 
joined. A fair-sized net is required for large and swift butterflies, 
while for the many that habitually fly high and settle far from the 
ground, six feet is none too long for a stick, though in narrow wood¬ 
land paths it will be found unwieldy. 
Subsequent experience in many lands has taught me that the 
strain caused by a sudden swoop with a large net is quite too much 
for the sticks usually supplied by the shops. Messrs. Hardy 
Brothers, of Alnwick, and 61 Pall Mall, have fixed for me a specially 
strengthened Y upon the middle joint of one of their steel-centred, 
cane-built, salmon-rods. For general purposes this has done me 
excellent service; the butt end may be attached when required, 
giving a stick of six feet, which I find to be as long as I can manage. 
Mosquito netting, dyed green, 1 is far more serviceable than leno, 
1 This can be obtained at the Army and Navy Stores. 
