360 
CEYLON 
I did not come across very many moths by day, but this may well 
be because little time was devoted to bunting for them. However, 
the handsome Agaristid, Eusemia nigripennis, Butl., did not need 
much looking for; it is a large black moth with primrose-yellow 
markings. I saw but one example, which flew very slowly in the 
full sunshine and settled on a leaf with wings fully expanded. The 
pretty white and bronze-green Chalcosia thallo, Linn, (venosa, Walk.), 
also compelled attention by its slow, weak, vapouring flight. This 
moth is much given to fluttering about trees and bushes, and one 
afternoon was seen in considerable numbers about the trunk of a 
tall tree (Litsaea zeylanica ); it is very tenacious of life, resisting 
chloroform as well as pinching, and has a peculiar, disagreeable, 
musty odour, not at all strong and seemingly present in both sexes ; 
on pinching much yellow juice is expressed, which appeared to have 
a slightly bitter taste. Though not at all related to Chalcosia, one 
cannot help mentally associating Bcilemera {Nyctemera) with it; of 
B. coleta , Cram. ( nigrovenosa , Moore), a delicately marked insect 
with weak flight, three specimens were taken flying in more or less 
bright sunshine. This insect also is tenacious of life, but scarcely 
so markedly as Chalcosia ; it also yields a yellow juice, which seemed 
to be very slightly bitter. A specimen of D. lacticinia, Cram., 
surprised me by coming to light at the hotel. 
Associated in my recollection with both Chalcosia and Bcilemera 
is the fine Geometer, Euschema palmyra , Stoll ( transversa , Walk.), a 
large grey-blue, black-spotted, Tiger-like moth, a very slow day-flyer, 
of which I took two specimens; and by the kindness of Mr. Tylecote 
brought home a third, taken by him at Peradeniya. This moth is 
extremely hard to kill. The little two-tailed Epiplema conflict aria, 
Walk, (lilacina, Moore), was seen spread out very flat upon a leaf. 
One drizzling day I made a dash at a swiftly flying Lycaenid, 
as I thought, but found in my net a smoky Psychid, Hcylaertsia 
griseata , Hmpsn., of course a male. Several Lymantriids also were 
taken on the wing, some in full sun, e.g . Lymantria ampla, Walk., 
and Aroa subnotata, Walk., both with quick darting flight, also the 
pretty pink, yellow-spotted Euproctis scintillans, Walk. 
One of the hotel servants brought me on three occasions living 
specimens of Acherontia lachesis, Fabr., which he had found on the 
trunks of Palms in the garden; two of them squeaked loudly when 
touched; it is closely allied to our Death’s Head moth. One windy 
day I picked up Daphnis hypothous, Cram., on a path by the lake; it 
is very like the European nerii. 
Day-flying Noctuids do not seem to be in any way characteristic 
