GENERAL NOTES. 
117 
Mould or fungoid growth always forms on many butterflies in a collection during the 
rainy season here, unless they are kept in a special drying-room ; some few species seem rarely to 
be attacked by mould, except on the antennae, on which it almost invariably forms. The first 
butterflies to get mould are the Euplxince , on which it heaps up till the body and much of the 
wings are quite hidden ; when alive these insects are very juicy, and on pinching the thorax severely 
a clear yellow liquid exudes from all joints, quite thin and watery—probably the reason why these 
butterflies;, so soon gather mould, and also why they are distasteful to many insect-eaters. 
The mantis has already been noted as a butterfly-destroyer and a very bold insect, but 
occasionally it tackles some creature which it had better have left in peace. 
On two or three occasions I have seen it seize a large hornet, when after a short struggle 
both insects would fall together to the ground from the shrub. The hornet would then fly away, 
and the mantis start off to climb the tree again, both combatants evidently glad to be well rid of 
each other, but the mantis quite ready to grab at the next hornet which strayed within its reach. 
Cuckoos (of which we have here four or five species in the wet season) are great 
devourers of lepidopterous larvae. Most birds dislike or reject hairy larvae, but the cuckoo seems 
to eat them all indifferently. The very hairy caterpillars he rubs up and down on the rough bark 
of a tree till most of the hairs are broken off, an operation I have watched at close quarters, well 
hidden in jungle. Moreover, as the Cuckoo tribe all appear to sing at intervals throughout the 
night they are probably nocturnal as well as diurnal feeders, and most larvae feed chiefly during the 
night, so that these birds must destroy countless numbers of them. The Rainbird ( Cacomantis 
mcrulinus) whose insistent notes day and night have earned him the title ‘‘Brain-fever-bird,” 
probably accounts for hosts of larvae during his stay with us, from the end of February or 
beginning of March till the end of August, though it is silent in that month and the end of July. 
The young birds are still here, however, till the end of September, and probably on into 
October. The,, white-eyes (Zosterops) Tailorbirds (Orthotomus) and Titmice are certainly the 
greatest consumers of small larvae, etc., and as they are resident throughout the year and some of 
our commonest birds, most likely do more than any other birds to keep down the numbers 
of insects. 
The colours of some butterflies fade very quickly after death, though they also lose their 
pristine brightness from ordinary wear and tear and weather during their lifetime. The bright 
cobalt blue patch in the hindwing of P. part's soon changes to a decided green, though still 
retaining its metallic sheen; but the beautiful greeny-blue of P. sarpedon and P, eurypilus 
tends to fade into dull green or yellow. The pale but bright and fresh chrome yellow of 
P. demo leu s when just emerged from the pupa soon turns to a rather dark ochreous yellow, as 
does the yellow of P. xuthus. The light green bands in the forewing of P % antiphates in course 
of time becomes yellowish. 
