378 
CEYLON 
took, or at least saw, Papilio hector, Ncipheronia ceylanica, Catopsilia 
pomona, Nissanga patnia , Zizera gaiha and Lampides celeno, as well 
as the metallic-green Bug, Chrysocoris stocherus. Mrs. Longstaff, 
while hunting for snails at the bottom of the steps, found among 
dead leaves a dark metallic-blue phytophagous Beetle, Gorynodes 
dohrni, Baly, as well as a luminous beetle-larva (? apterous female). 
This insect used the last segment of the abdomen in walking as a 
“ clasper,” somewhat like a Geometer larva, or a leech. On the 
underside of the penultimate segments it exhibited two constant 
green lights. In the centre of each was a black non-luminous spot. 
When put into the cyanide-bottle the lights were almost instantly 
extinguished. 
Fire-flies always interest me, and although out of the order of the 
narrative it may be convenient to record here some observations 
made at Kandy. 
January 21st, 1908. Luciola (?) vespertina , Fabr., 1 a female, taken 
at light in the hotel. When first captured it was flashing at the rate 
of about 120 to the minute. On being chloroformed the light at 
once became constant, but in a minute or two was extinct. 
January 24th, 1908. A fire-fly, Luciola vespertina, Fabr., came 
to light. When disturbed it gave forth an intermittent light at the 
rate of from 60 to 90 flashes to the minute, possibly sometimes even 
more rapidly, but it declined to flash for many seconds together, so 
that it was not easy to measure the rate. It was put into the 
cyanide-bottle, and as soon as it appeared to come under the influence 
of the poisonous vapour, and before it ceased to move its legs, the 
flashes gave place to a continuous light. This was fairly bright after 
fifteen minutes, but when looked at after the beetle had been thirty 
minutes in the bottle the light was found to be extinct. 
January 25th. A fire-fly, Luciola vespertina, flashed very irregu¬ 
larly. When running about in the box the flashes followed at fairly 
regular intervals, but when the insect stopped the light was extin¬ 
guished. I actually counted 29 flashes in one minute, but the rates 
measured for shorter periods (quarter to half a minute) worked out 
at 36, 36, 44, 24, 28, 32, 36 per minute. It occurred to me that 
possibly the rapidity of the flashes might be proportional to the 
rapidity of movement of the legs or wings. When put into the 
cyanide-bottle the light was extinguished almost immediately. 
January 28th. Two fire-flies, Luciola vespertina, came to light. 
Fire-fly A was very active; four counts gave the rate of pulsation 
1 This lacks the black spot on the elytra, and Mr. C. J. Gahan thinks that it may 
possibly be distinct. 
