142 
GENERAL NOTES. 
along the riverside right up to Kwei-hsien. Catochrysops strabo was very abundant at the latter 
place, especially on the grassy plain mentioned above, where it was the commonest butterfly during 
the early part of August. Two specimens of Curetis acuta were taken one day at Tam-chau in 
August, so it is probably not rare there. Megisba malaya occurred in numbers during August 
in the woods on the big hills behind Tam-chau. *Ilerda epicles was taken at Tam-chau and 
How-lik. Gerydus chinensis occurs at least as far up the river as the latter place. Deudorix 
epijarbas was taken at Kwei-hsien. Delias hierte occurs at Wuchau. One specimen of Dercas 
verhuelli was taken at How-lik in the middle of August. Papilio aristolochice was one of the 
most interesting butterflies observed, for it seemed absolutely confined to the limestone pinnacle 
rocks on the plain at Kwei-hsien, in the crannies of which the foodplant of the larva was probably 
growing. This insect did not appear even on the plain except in the close vicinity of these rocks. 
In the early part of August it was there the commonest butterfly, and large numbers were observed, 
though from the worn condition of most specimens, it was then evidently on the wane. P. aris¬ 
tolochice has a somewhat different flight from most of the Papilionince y for it flies rather steadily 
and chiefly with the forewings, these being rapidly vibrated whilst the hindwings are (apparently) 
almost stationary, though expanded. Three or four individuals of Papilio xuthus were taken at 
Sam-shui and How-lik in the middle of July, much earlier than it occurs on the coast, but they 
were evidently just emerged. Leptocircus curius was fairly common at How-lik, where it haunted 
the stream, flying over the surface of the water like a dragonfly—sometimes slowly, when the white 
markings on the wings showed up distinctly—sometimes with great velocity so that the eye could 
not follow it. Often it rested on the rocks or on foliage, or sitting on the damp sand on the 
margin of the stream it sucked up the moisture. It seemed fond of the flowers of some rather 
large trees (. Eugenia sp.) which overhung the stream, and delighted in alternate sun and shade, 
but remained hidden on cloudy, sunless days. The Hesperiidce were well represented at How- 
lik, and several species new to the Hongkong list were taken, as well as nearly all those which 
occur at the latter place, and they are probably all to be found at How-lik at the proper seasons. 
Caprona syrichthus has already been mentioned as fairly common on the plain at Kwei-hsien. 
Two species at least of Ornithoptera occur at How-lik. Entomologists certainly owe a debt of 
gratitude to these Buddhist monasteries which have preserved even these small afforested areas 
scattered over China, which would otherwise undoubtedly long ago have become ;the prey of the 
Chinese wood-chopper. The monks keep special watchmen all round their estate at intervals, who 
are on the look-out both day and night from rough shanties elevated on posts to prevent the cutting 
of trees and brushwood, not to mention grass, which is extensively employed as fuel in brick and 
lime kilns along the banks of the West River. The Buddhist religion, of course, prohibits the 
destruction of animal life, and during a stay of several days at the monastery not a fowl or a pig 
was to be seen anywhere over the estate, nor even a dog—animals which are indispensable features 
of everyday Chinese life—the pigs especially being very destructive to plants and young trees. 
° In the Chinese form of this Lycaenid the $ often has an orange patch on the upperside of the forewing, similar to 
that of the ?, but the latter has not the purple flush over the upperside of the wings. 
