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Show 252 MR. H. J. ELWES ON BUTTERFLIES FROM [Apr. 21, feet. Afterwards I found it ou the western side of Japoo, at 7000-8000 feet, and between these two places we got one or two every day. At Mao, in Manipur, I have taken worn specimens at 7500-9000 feet. M y Lepchas, who collected at Buxa, in Bhutan, say there is no chance of another brood. Strange to say, I have never seen a female. The Butterfly drifts about among the tree-tops, rarely descending to the ground ; the crimson of the hind wings is not so conspicuous as one might think, and if one loses sight of it for an instant it is very hard to make out again, its transparent dark grey wings being hardly distinguishable among the shadows, and it is blown about by the wind, more like a dead leaf than a living insect. Its flight is much like that of Hestia, but less buoyant and circling, as might be expected from its angular wings ; nevertheless its resemblance strikes one. Seen from above it must be much more conspicuous, and is no doubt a protected insect ; at the same time its weak flight may even add to its chance of escape, as it certainly does with Hestia, for it is impossible to calculate the direction in which it is making. The whole body and wings give out a delicious odour, which remains for some days after death. In some positions and at some distance Armandia looks like Danais tytia, which is very common in the same places. Armandia hovers about flowers, like other Papilios. During rain it alights on a leaf, and droops its fore wings over the hind ones, thus covering the bright colours. Several were taken in this way ; but I confess I only caught one myself, as I have not the patience to do as m y men do, and watch one of these lovely things for hours and follow it over these steep jungly hills, on the very small chance of catching it finally. Falls, leeches, and torn clothes are the only things you can count on, but there is a fair chance of a fall into a tiger-pit. I came very near staying permanently on Kohoni, having fallen into one of these pits yesterday whilst chasing an Armandia. I can usually detect one of these pits by the broken twig that marks it, but this was an old one overgrown with weeds and away from any path. It was like a cistern, 12 feet deep, roofed over with logs, leaving but a small opening, so that if a deer or pig is caught and the tiger is hungry, he jumps in and cannot get out. I thought I was gone, for there was no chance of being found there, and it seemed quite impossible to get out. It took me 8 hours hard work to do it. I made steps up the side with my knife, and contrived to hang somehow at the top beneath the roof. After trying three sides I saw a small stout stick six feet from the opening, and after several hours succeeded in pulling it to me with m y broken butterfly-net; then I put it across the opening and with great difficulty swung myself out, and I came home in the dark, very thankful to have escaped. The Nagas are not afraid of these pits, as they go nowhere alone ; but they have another sort of trap of which I have a perfect horror, and so have they. It consists of great stones hung from trees, and set free by a vine across the path, crushing any animal which touches it. Each village has its own traps, and every child knows their positions. For fear of these |