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Show 818 DR. A. G. BUTLER ON LEPIDOPTERA [Nov. 17, " So far as I know, only two Europeans have ever visited Senga besides myself, one of whom was poor Mr. Glave, who died lately when crossing the continent from east to west. JNo one, I think, has ever done any natural history collecting there. "In August and September last I had occasion to make a journey into Senga, for the purpose of investigating the slave-trade, and this afforded m e an opportunity of shooting and natural history collecting. " 1 got together a number of Antelopes' heads, some land-shells, and about sixty species of Butterflies-some of which I take to be new, for I have never before seen anything like them. Had the state of the country permitted it, I would have prolonged my journey aud done more; but the Senga slave-traders proved hostile: twice we were fired on; and, having no fighting force at m y disposal, I was obliged to retrace m y steps. " However, everything taken into consideration, I am well pleased with what little I got; the Butterflies certainly are very interesting, and will furnish, I should think, six or seven new species, if not more. "Returning from Senga, then, I revisited Henga (3| days S.W. from this), and there I spent about six weeks for the purpose of shooting. It was not a good time of year for insects, being just the end of the dry season: however, I took a few, one a large spotted ' Blue'-the largest ' Blue ' I think I ever saw, but not anything gorgeous, which may be something good. This and one or two other insects I will send you, all in the same box." W e had commenced mounting the Butterflies in this very interesting consignment when Mr. Crawshay reached England, bringing with him two other boxes of Lepidoptera collected by him in or near the Deep Bay district. I have therefore thought it best to combine the account of the two collections in one paper. As, of late years, the minds of Lepidopterists have been greatly exercised respecting the seasonal forms of Butterflies, I asked Mr. Crawshay wmether he could give m e information respecting the duration of the wet and dry seasons in British Central Africa. H e now sends m e the following particulars, which will doubtless prove of considerable value to the students of dimorphism:- " N o precise limit can be laid down to define the rainy and dry seasons throughout the whole of British Central Africa. The seasons vary in the various localities: in the first place, latitude has to be taken into consideration; then, again, the rains of the hills set in earlier than those of the plains. " In the Shiri highlands, which on the mean are over 3000 feet alt., tbe first rains fall about the end of September or the beginning of October, according to tbe phase of the moon; these are the preliminary rains, and they last only two or three days, as a rule. Then succeeds a dry period of some three weeks or so. After this the heavy rains set in, and continue until the middle or end of April-some years a little earlier or later than this. " This year I happened to be at Blantyre at the end of April |
