118 
CEYLON 
Skipper Baracus vittatus, again among sedgy grass, and Abraxas 
sordida , Hmpsn., flying at dusk. This last, a nearly uniformly dark 
fuscous insect, is presumably scarce, since the British Museum 
possesses the type only. 
Hakgala, alt. 4800 ft. 
On March 19th and 21st I visited the beautifully situated and 
well-kept Botanical Garden at HakgAla, some five miles south of 
Nuw&ra Eliya and at a considerably lower elevation. Nestling under 
beetling crags, which form a grand background, it is a glorious blaze 
of flowers. 
Along the road Catophaga paulina was swarming, males with their 
sweet-briar-like scent appeared to predominate largely. They flew 
rapidly and always in the same direction—roughly speaking, from 
south-east to north-west. They frequently flew in strings, just as if 
they were tied together, and reminded me strongly of the strings of 
floating stars that are dropped by a certain kind of rocket; I often 
saw three, four, or five, and once even seven, so following their 
leader’s every movement. 
At a turn of the road close by the garden there was a small patch 
of a tall, but small-flowered Composite plant ( Vernonia sp.); this plant 
did not appear to be common in the district, but it was especially 
attractive to a black Danaine, which was quite abundant within the 
limits of the plant’s distribution. Chittira fumata , Butl. (peculiar 
to Ceylon), is very distinct and handsome on the wing, its flight 
is slow and it is easy to catch, but like all Danaines it has a tough 
integument and is very tenacious of life. The favoured flower was 
so attractive to the butterfly that it would even go into deep shade 
to visit it. Chittira fumata may be said to be gregarious; it has 
the acetylene odour of Crastia core , but not so strong and with a 
difference. I made no observation as to the relation of scent to sex 
in this species, which, by the way, was almost certainly seen at Hatton. 
Near this same spot I took one Tirumala septentrionis as well 
as two Crastia asela, and saw others. 
The inevitable Lycaenids were worn Talicada nyseus; Lampides 
bochus, one; and Polyommatus baeticus, which was common. 
It was interesting to watch the pretty little Honey-birds 
(Dicaeum sp.) feeding at some tall spikes of flowers. 
