i 4 4 
GENERAL NOTES. 
confined to the higher parts of the mountain. The large and fairly level areas at about 3,500 ft. 
are chiefly covered with long coarse grass and reeds, difficult to force a way through and probably 
marshy in the wet season ; but there are a few rough foot-tracks, as even here a few squatters have 
cultivated small patches of rich-looking marshy black soil, and raise vegetables, etc.; they live in 
small /\-shaped reed hovels. The usual Precis species were fairly common here, also Argynnis 
hyperkins , but most insects were rather scarce—even grasshoppers and dragonflies, the commonest 
grasshopper being a different species from the one most abundant on the lower ground—and I saw 
none of the small Zizera so extremely numerous below, and only one or two other Lycaenids, one 
being Catochrysops cnejus and another an Arhopala sp. Neptis eurynome , however, was fairly 
numerous ; and Parnara guttatus , almost the only Hesperid represented on the summit except 
a few Padraona dara , was very abundant at the flowers growing amidst the long grass. 
We were both much disappointed in the “virgin forest” at Ku-u-toi mentioned by Mr. 
Bourne in his “ Lo-fou Mountains ” ; the ravine, though certainly a beautiful rocky and precipitous 
glen, was neither inaccessible nor was it filled with large trees, but with fairly thick jungle and small 
trees and bushes. In one of the shrubby ravines near the summit, with a rocky and picturesque 
stream flowing down it, we saw a party of the pretty little so-called Hill-tits (Leiothrix luteus) 
often kept as cage-birds by the Chinese, and nearly always to be seen in the Hongkong bird-shops. 
They do not appear to descend to the lower slopes. The Hwamei ( Trochalopternm canorum) 
sang delightfully in the morning and evening from the gullies filled with bushes and scrub, and 
partridges called to one another, but on the whole there did not seem to be much bird-life on the 
summit—not even Kites, a whole army of which continually sailed over the two wooded hills 
between which is situated the monastery of Siu-liu-kun, in a valley about 800 ft. above sea-level, 
and whence we climbed to the summit by a steep but practicable foot-path, sometimes earth and 
rock, sometimes rough stone steps, but evidently falling into disuse like the temple of Put-wan-tsze 
to which it leads. On the summit a few Euplceince were seen, and two Dercas verhuelli were 
taken in one of the woody glens. At Put-wan-tsze about 7 a.m. on Oct. 29th the temperature was 
58° F. 
In the woods on the lower levels Limenitis sybilla is a common insect, whilst L. procris 
seems rare. Symbrenthia lucina was fairly common in the valleys. Curetis dentata is evidently 
common at Lo-fou, as also is Ilerda epicles. Gerydus chinensis was very abundant in the 
woods at the base of the hills. Lethe confusa was perhaps the commonest butterfly during our 
stay at Lo-fou, whilst L. europa was rare. Melanitis leda was abundant amongst the dead leaves 
in the woods, and the specimens were very large, dark, and with greatly-developed forewing tips 
and hindwing “tails.” One noticeable absentee was Clerome eumceus , so common at Hongkong 
and Macao, of which not a single specimen was observed. Though there was no lack of shady 
streams and rank undergrowth there seemed to be few species of Hesperiidae abroad at the time of 
our visit, with the few exceptions already noted. 
Apparently the Schach Shrike (Lanius schach) and the common Bulbul (Pycnonotus 
sinensis), our commonest coast birds, do not favour the Lo-fou hills, for we saw but few of them 
except in the plain ; but the same species of Barbet resident at How-lik also occurs in all the 
