PECULIARITIES OF FLIGHT 
537 
been some special circumstance that caused my specimens to behave 
in an unusual manner. Certainly its alleged model, Tirumala 
petiverana, did not put in an appearance. 
The flight of Gethosia nietneri, Feld., another Ceylon butterfly, is 
I think about the slowest and weakest that I have observed, and this 
alike whether it be high up or near the ground. The S. African 
Nymphaline, Salamis anacardii , Linn., is another remarkably slow 
flyer. 1 
As a general rule tropical butterflies seem harder to catch than 
British. Certainly this is not entirely to be explained by the heat, 
nor even by swiftness of flight. The slow-flying Mycalesis seldom 
moves far, and is for that very reason hard to catch as it seldom 
gets quite clear of the herbage amongst which it is found. Again, 
JElymnias often refuses to move more than two or three yards when dis¬ 
turbed, yet is hard to catch because it will not get clear of the bushes, 
in the middle of which it loves to flutter. A very different butterfly, 
the exquisite blue Nepheronia ceylanica, Feld., a quick flyer, often 
takes refuge in bushes when pursued; Teracolus puellaris, Butl., has 
a similar habit. Belenois mesentina, Cram., and the two common 
Indian species of Ixias seem to spend much of their time flying 
through and through thorn bushes. 2 
Between Nuwara-Eliya and Hakgala, Ceylon, March, 1904, my 
attention was called to the curious habit of the male Catophaga 
paulina, Cram., of flying in strings as though tied together by an 
invisible thread. I witnessed this again at Haragama, Ceylon, 
January 20th, 1908. Soon after mid-day large numbers of the £ 
were seen flying down the bed of the stream, sometimes in ones and 
twos, but often three, four, or five together in strings. On the same 
day clusters of a score or more were seen drinking at wet sand ; when 
disturbed they would quickly come back to the favoured spots, as 
many as five to seven together, in strings, all conforming to the 
movements of their leader like wild geese. 3 
Melanitis ismene, Cram. ( leda , Drury nec Linn.), is an insect which 
I have met with at divers times, and in divers places, but unfortu¬ 
nately have never come across it in any numbers. At the beginning 
of February, 1908, I twice witnessed its evening flight—at about 
6.30 p.m. when it was nearly dark. My net-stick consists of two 
lower joints of a salmon-rod; on the occasion referred to the butt- 
joint, which is partly covered with cork, was lying near me on the 
ground. The butterfly flew in jerks, making short circuits and 
1 See above, pp. 190,193. 2 See above, pp. 57, 62, 73. 
3 See above, pp. 118, 370. 
