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Show 1900.] FROM BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 939 the secondaries marked as in P. tibullus 2 ', on the under surface the apical area of the primaries and external area of secondaries are broadly grey-brown ; the inner half on the primaries forming an externally diffused black belt upon which the pale patches and spots of the upper surface are sharply outlined; the internal half on the secondaries merely darker brown; veins and internervular folds dark brown. Expanse of wings 100-103 millimetres. 95. PAPILIO CENEA. 2 . Papilio cenea, Stoll, Suppl. Cramer, p. 134, pi. xxix. figs. 1, la (1791). 8 8,2 2, Nairobi forest, March 11, 18, & 20, 1900. cf. " C o m m o n in the forest at the foot of the escarpment and easily taken, its flight being sluggish and almost always well within reach of the net. "In an hour I saw perhaps twenty-five or thirty, flying along between the trees or hovering over some flowering bush : I netted six, two of which had their tails entire. This insect does not relish or frequent open country, though occasionally I have seen one here and there out on the plains fully a mile from the forest, when obviously it is anything but in its element, as its flight is then absolutely regular aud horizontal with the ground, and within five or six feet of it, hurrying for all it is worth. In the forest its flight is lazy ; it often stays to hover and returns over and over again over the same ground and the same bush. " Quite a common characteristic of its flight is a perpendicular drop of ten, fifteen, or twenty feet: it closes its wings and falls straight away." (R. C.) 2 . " Pale sea-green spherical ova." (R. C.) Of a male obtained on March 18th Mr. Crawshay writes :- " Very plentiful nowadays. At a water-hole I saw to-day a number of tbis species and about a dozen of the black velvet and metallic blue coloured Swallow-tail (P. nireus) feeding on the moist ground in company with each other." Of a female (white-spotted P. cenea type) he writes-" Have seen and netted several specimens, but not one is perfect." Lastly of a female (P. tibullus type)-" There could be no easier insect to take than this." 96. PAPILIO PHORCAS. cf. Papilio phorcas, Cramer, Pap. Exot. i. p. 4, pi. ii. B, C (1775). 2 . Papilio thersander, Fabricius, Ent. Syst. iii. pt.l, p. 32 (1793). 8, Nairobi forest, March 11; 8 8,22, Euarka Eiver, April 22 & 27, 1900. cf. " C o m m o n in the forest, and, I suppose, a very common insect in other African forests; it is not easy, however, to secure a perfect specimen." 2 . " A s far as I know this Swallow-tail is new to me. Close |