NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE. 



Vol XL SEPTEMBER, 1904. No. 2.. 



NEW LEPIDOPTERA FROM BRITISH NEW GUINEA. 



By GEORGE T. BETHUNE-BAKER, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 

 (Plates IV. V. VI.) 



AT the close of the year 1901 my friend Mr. Kenrick and I arranged with 

 Mr. A. E. Pratt that he and his son should go out to British New Guinea 

 and attem])t an entomological exploration of a portion of the Owen Stanley range. 

 Probably none of us realised the extreme difficulties of getting into the interior 

 of the country. As soon as possible after his arrival at Port Moresby, Mr. Pratt 

 started for Hall Sound, and made his way in canoes up the Ethel River to Oofafa, 

 a village as far up that stream as conld be navigated ; here the overland march and 

 carrier difficulties began. 



Mr. Pratt's plan was to make his first collecting camp at Dinawa, a village on 

 the north of the Angabunga River. The most direct trail to this place was through 

 the villages of Epa and Ekeikei. (This Epa must not be confused with Eppa near the 

 River Akevailii, which is a western tributary of the Aroa River ; Epa is probably 

 some ten to fifteen miles north-north-west of Eppa.) The coast tribes absolutely 

 refused to carry inland ; but fortunately the chief of Epa is a marked individuality, 

 and soon became very friendly. He is an absolute autocrat, with great power over his 

 people. After some delay he sent down carriers and brought np the loads, and later 

 on was of great assistance in many ways. From here the path lay through a dense 

 forest to Ekeikei, on to Madui, and thence to Dinawa. So thick was the forest that 

 scarcely any light penetrated: "gloomy and most dejjressing " are Mr. Pratt's 

 words ; and as it was raining most of the way not a sound was heard or a sign of 

 life, except an occasional hoarse " wauk wank " from a disturbed Paradisea raggiana. 

 It was almost the last rain of that year (1902), and was followed by one of the 

 longest and most serious droughts yet experienced in that part of the land. 



After arrival at Dinawa it was necessary to build a camp, which was a most 

 laborious undertaking, every tree having to be felled and cut up. Tliis first camp 

 was established on one of the spurs of Mount Davidson ; later on a second was 

 built some miles to the east. From here our first collections were sent ; they were 

 not as large as we expected, but were most interesting, the Heterocera proving 

 to be very rich in new species. 



The drought soon became so serious that there was scarcely a green leaf 

 visible, and therefore Mr. Pratt came down to the coast for a time. The difficulties 

 of obtaining carriers again appeared. The villages in the inferior, and especially 

 in the mountains, are very small, usually not more than nineteen or twenty huts ; 

 the men are scarcely ever willing to work, the women doing most of the carrying 

 and cultivating ; and constantly one village is unfriendly with the next one, so 



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