| OCR Text |
Show 1891.] ON BUTTERFLIES FROM THE NAGA HILLS, ETC. 249 I. On Butterflies collected by Mr. W. Doherty in the Naga and Karen Hills and in Perak.-Part I. By H. J. ELWES. [Eeceived April 1, 1891.] (Plate XXVII.) In the following notes I have given a list of the rarer and more interesting Butterflies collected in the years 1889 and 1890 by Mr. Doherty; but I have not thought it necessary to mention the commoner ones which have already been recorded from the neighbouring regions, as it is obvious that no list can be anything like complete unless based on collections made during a much longer time than Mr. Doherty has been able to devote to one locality. The principal places he visited were as follows:-During March and April 1889 he was at Margharita, which is near the coal-mines S.E. of Sadya in Upper Assam, and this locality, owing to the very cold, rainy, and unfavourable weather, was very unproductive. Some of the more interesting species occurring here have been already described by him in the ' Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal,' 1889, p. 125. It appears that there is here among the insects, as amongst the birds, a general prevalence of the common Indo-Malay species which are found all along the sub-Himalayan forest and throughout the low country of Assam and N.E. Bengal, with a slight admixture of forms peculiar to Upper Assam, and having more relationship to species found in China and East Tibet than to Indian species. Writing from Margharita, Upper Assam, on May 6th, 1889, Mr. Doherty says: - " I had to go to Darjiling for m y Lepchas and got two fairly good men ; I have also two other men, one of whom is quite as good as the Lepchas, and hope by high wages and continual presents to keep them permanently in m y service. I have had no success as yet. I reached here April 23rd. As this is probably the best collecting-ground in the Assam valley, and as both my expeditions have failed, and I will never make a third, I will give you some notion of the seasons, so that you may secure better success to anyone who comes later. Last year the rains continued down to the cold weather, November 1st, after which Butterflies disappeared entirely, though Moths flew till December 1st. During October very few species were flying, though some were fairly abundant, including four species of red Charaxes, and even Rhinopalpa fulva. There were scarcely any Lycaenidse or Hesperidae. The forest-paths were all flooded and impassable till the cold weather had well begun. So the autumn is quite hopeless for collecting. This spring I learn to my surprise that a host of Butterflies came out about March 1 5th, in spite of the cold and violent winds, disappearing during the first week of April. Tbe Chota barsat (little-rains) began in the last days of March. April was exceedingly wet and cold. We were wearing heavy ulsters and double flannels in the steamer from |
