100 
INDIA 
Yphthima ceylonica, Hew., another foretaste of the great southern 
island. Y. inica, turned up at about 5800 ft., but at about 6500 ft., 
in a clearing in a wood, I found Y. hubneri , together with Y. chenui, 
and Y. philomela . There were swarms of these Yphthimas on that 
sunny bank, but as I did not distinguish the species at the time 
I cannot now say of what the bulk of them consisted. Bingham 
considered ceylonica to be a race of hubneri , but the other species 
he held to be distinct. Some of the specimens have injuries to the 
wings, which from their shapes may have been inflicted by birds, but 
I attach little importance to this, especially as the injuries are 
unilateral, since the wings of Yphthima (and to a somewhat less 
degree of Mycalesis also) are so fragile that quite unbroken specimens 
are exceptional. 
The genus Papilio was represented by a couple of demoleus . As 
usual Argynnis hyperbius showed a preference for lofty and bare 
places. On one occasion I watched a female of this species for 
some time under the impression that it was Danaida chrysippus! 
The resemblance on the wing is greater than might be supposed. 
Vanessa haronica , which had before eluded me so often, fell a victim 
at last; I secured two specimens on a shady road through a wood. 
It settles on rocks or walls, a habit that makes it hard to net, more¬ 
over it is shy and easily disturbed, though usually coming back again 
to its resting-place. 
True to its generic name, Nomophila noctuella was common in 
grassy places, and I took Boarmia inceptaria , Walk., flying in the 
hotel garden at dusk. 
It was tantalizing to be told by the hotel manager ab Konur of 
the immense number and variety of butterflies there in the summer. 
I was, however, fortunate in making the acquaintance of a dealer, 
named Solomon, a coloured man, who told me that at that time of 
the year it was no good collecting on the high ground, but for a 
consideration he agreed to show me a very good place near the foot 
of the hills. Accordingly I went with him on March 2nd, and again 
alone on the following day. This involved travelling by an early 
goods-train down to Kallae, the first station on the mountain railway 
above Mettupalaiyam, about 2000 ft. above the sea, but only 200 ft. 
to 300 ft. above the plain. Here, as in other parts of India, the 
best places for insects, at any rate in the winter season, are to be 
found in the belt of jungle at the foot of the hills, or in the woods 
on their lower slopes. But it is just in these places where the 
dreaded Anopheles is as abundant as the Bhopalocera, and the station- 
master at Kallar told me that entomologists always slept at Konur 
