TBHSTKOMALI—HABABANE 
381 
to the wants of generations of sailors, looked woe-begone to the last 
degree, for had not their glory altogether departed ? Tamby said to 
me wistfully, “ You know, master, when they come back ? ” Alas ! 
I did not know. So far as I am aware the only other guest of 
Tamby’s that night was a male Hyperlopha cristifera, Walk., a 
ISToctuid in which the sexes greatly differ. 
Soon after our arrival the Best-house was invaded by an army 
of Box-wallahs, who at once besieged us with shells, sharks' jaws, 
skins of leopards and pythons—with all the things, in fact, which 
had found a ready market in the squadron; the men were sorrowful 
and looked really hungry. After some trifling purchases I said to 
them, “You had better go away and pray to Muhammad for the 
sailors to come back.” They quite understood and smiled sadly. 
Then there are the trim Admiralty buildings in tidy rows along 
the shore of the harbour, a harbour alike beautiful, safe, commodious, 
and easily defended. 
That part of Admiral Fisher's policy of concentration which led 
to the abandonment of “ Trinko,” among other outlying stations, may 
have been wise, but I incline to agree with those who, realizing that 
modern ships are far more dependent upon dockyards in war time 
than were the “ wooden walls,” look upon the abandonment of this 
place—the only good harbour in Ceylon—as an act of madness 
which may in the future cost the nation dear. 
Habarane. 
On our return journey to Kandy we made a mid-day halt at 
Habarane, a very English-looking place in the heart of the forest, 
in hopes of finding something new, a hope that was not justified. A 
number of butterflies were observed but they were members of the 
Old Guard. Crastia asela , Tirumala septentrionis, \Parantica aglea ; 
Precis iphita , Ergolis taprobana and ariadne , Gethosia nietneri, a 
Neptis ; Zizera otis } Lampides celeno ; Catopsilia pomona and pyranthc , 
Terms hecabe, Catophaga paulina, Huphina nerissa ; Papilio telephus, 
P. hector , P. aristolochiae , P. parinda, Ornithoptera darsius ; and 
lambrix salsaia. With these were the common Ghrysocoris stacker us , 
and the wasps Sceliphron bengalense and Eumenes jiavopida , Blanch., 
the last having a U-like mark on its thorax. 
