KANDY 
847 
to capture Parthenos cyaneus, Moore, one of Ceylon’s finest butterflies, 
but more than once was grievously tantalized by watching its 
remarkable flight. It is a large and very striking insect of a beautiful 
greyish-blue colour: in marked contrast with Papilio parinda, which 
flies with much seemingly laborious flapping, though its wings do not 
appear to be depressed below the horizontal position, the Parthenos 
glides about, at every two or three yards strongly depressing its wings 
with a jerk, but seldom appearing to raise them much above the 
horizontal. One day I had the misery of studying this movement for 
the best part of an hour as the lordly insects sailed about far above 
me. That accurate observer Mr. E. E. Green agrees with my descrip¬ 
tion of its movements. After I left Kandy Mr. E. F. S. Tylecote 
succeeded in capturing one or two specimens of cyaneus; but I had 
previously had ample opportunity of observing how an entomologist 
might be helped on occasion by much practice in dealing with swift 
bowling. 
The commonest Neptis at Kandy is the species generally known as 
varmona , Moore, which however Bingham regarded as indistinguish¬ 
able from eurynome , Westw. It has the floating flight so characteristic 
of the group; when it settles the wings usually remain expanded, 
but not always; it appears to be for the most part indifferent to its 
position with regard to the sun. Neptis jumba, Moore, was compara¬ 
tively scarce, it is quite a distinct species in which, when alive, the 
white markings have a distinctly blue tinge. In two males I thought 
I detected a faint scent, like chocolate, or perhaps vanilla. Rahinda 
sinuata , Moore, regarded by Bingham as a race of hordonia , Stoll, 
was rather common, its resting habits are similar to those of 
Neptis. 
The great tropical and sub-tropical genus Precis , called by many 
authors Junonia, was well represented by five out of the six Indian 
species, but of P. lemonias, Linn., one only, of P.orithyia , Linn., two only, 
of P. atlites , Linn., three only, and of P. almana, Linn., three only were 
seen, the latter being of the “ wet ” form, asterie, Linn. On the other 
hand, P. iphita, Cram., was often abundant. Out of twenty-one 
specimens brought home, mostly in poor condition, three only, all 
males, had the sub-costal white spots on the under-side of the hind¬ 
wing ; of these two were “ wet,” the other was intermediate, tending 
to “wet,” but I cannot say that these spots are characteristic of 
either sex or season. These butterflies often settled with the wings 
closed, but almost equally often with them widely opened; they 
seemed to sit either with head or tail to the sun. In two males a 
slight treacly odour was detected. 
