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Show 258 MR. H. J. ELWES ON BUTTERFLIES FROM [Apr. 21, Zulla valley along with Armandia ; the other species (C. histrionicus, var. aliissima, Elwes) came, I think, from lower ground. The mimicry in this species seems very perfect at a little distance, both in flight and colouring ; so that it is only when you look closely that you see that all the colours are quite different from those of Danais genutia. The long-bodied Sphinx-like Bombyx you think a new genus (allied to Tarsolepis fulgurifera, Wk.) was taken in cracks and hollows of trees high above the ground, and was hard to distinguish from the bark. The creatures can hardly fly at all, and I brought down one with a stone." I may add that the species just referred to came from the Naga Hills, not from Burmah. On his return from Momeit, which I see is also written Momeik, and is now to be annexed to British Burmah, Mr. Doherty writes me from Mandalayon June 30th:-" Among the Momeit Butterflies are a number of Libgthea rohina (L. narina), which occurs there along with myrrha. Also a few pairs of Yoma vasuki, Doherty. I think Yoma will stand as a genus in spite of Semper's rash identification of it with Salamis. Each of the islands from Java and Celebes eastwards seems to have its form of Yoma, all very dubiously distinct; though constant enough ou the upperside, vasuki is no better species than two or three more. Among the Bemardmyo species is a broken specimen of Papilio machaon taken at 5500 feet. The soldiers there took several broken examples of P. gyas and P. krishna, also a bad specimen of Lethe purana, none of which I got. The weather at Bemardmyo was much colder than I expected, colder than Darjiling in the rains. During June the weather was lovely, and I do not understand why the woods were so devoid of all animal life. May was a good month for beetles and I did very well; but June was a failure all round, both on the high and low country. I was detained beyond my intentions, as Longchung was too ill to be moved, and then I could get no transport. At last I got away in the ' burst of the monsoon ' and had a most uncomfortable 70 miles to the river. Thabeitkyin, where scarcely any rain falls, was like a paradise when we got there, and I was able to dry all m y specimens, which I hope will reach you in good order. My men are all very low with fever and dysentery. The Ruby Mines are the most unhealthy district I ever heard of; I suffered far less than my men, and yet I lost 15 pounds weight." The extracts which I have quoted above give a graphic picture of the life of a collector in the more unexplored and out-of-the-way hill-tracts of India; and though Mr. Doherty constantly speaks, as Wallace does in the Malay Archipelago, of his want of success, yet he has done more than I could have expected in the time, and his collection of Moths in particular, though not so numerous in Burmah as in the Naga Hills, includes many novelties, and will take me some time to work out. After leaving Burmah Mr. Doherty went to Sumatra, and is now on his way to the Eastern islands of the Malay Archipelago, whence I trust he will return in safety with rich collections. He has already done more than any other single man I |