THE BUTTERFLIES OF CEYLON 27 
the year round in the grass-fields on this estate, and all places 
round Haldummulla where the grass is fairly short. It is 
easily alarmed, and flies fast for a short distance. It never 
seems to fly far, but can be found in the same spots day after 
day. It usually settles on the ground, except when roosting 
for the night, when it selects a low plant about a foot or less 
in height. It can be walked up in the late evening, and is 
then very easy to catch. 
It is extremely variable. Specimens from the Northern 
Province are much smaller than those from Haldummulla. 
The costa and apical markings on the fore wing are nearly 
pure white, whereas in the hill specimens they are pale buff; 
the under side also is much lighter. Specimens from the 
low-country of Uva taken during the dry season are inter- 
mediate between the twoforms. The female is also extremely 
variable, at all seasons and localities, in the amount of blue 
on the lower wings. 
Found everywhere from Galle to Jaffna, and from sea level 
to over 6,000 feet. 
46. PRECIS HIERTA. Junonia hierta, De N., B., E.; Junonia 
oenone, M. 
Also found in India, Burmah and S$. China. 
The main variation is in the size of the blue spot on the 
lower wing of the female. Often it is entirely absent, but 
in others it is as large as that of the male, but is of a more 
lilac shade. : 
From 188g till 1916 it was seldom seen out of the Northern 
Province. I came across it in great numbers at Kanke- 
santurai, on the N. coast during the NE. monsoon and took 
_ two specimens as far south as Anuradhapura. It then sud- 
denly appeared all over the Island and I noted it at Kandy, 
Colombo, Galle and Tangalle. These were all perfect 
specimens and did not appear to have “‘ flighted ’’ far. They 
remained common in Colombo till 1919, but in 1920 the 
collectors there asked so exorbitant a price that I fancy. 
they were becoming scarce again. They had quite disap- 
peared from Kandy much earlier. These southern specimens 
are much larger than those from the Northern Province. 
