PREFA CE. 



Vll 



near the habitations of men, &c."* It appears, however, that the flora follows more or less 

 the main features of the Kliopalocerous fauna, for Prof. Thisolton Dyer, with the knowledge 

 acquired from the vast Indian Collection contained in the Kew Herbarium, has found that 

 "there is a marked difference between the vegetation of the greater part of the Peninsula of 

 Hindostan and that of the areas to the north and north-east of it. The latter belongs to the 

 type characteristic of the Malayan region, which is also represented on the Malabar coast and 

 in Cejdon." f 



Too little attention is often paid to the physical characteristics of a region which, 

 qualifying the flora, greatly influences the nature of the insect fauna, and this doubtless will 

 be clearly shown in the Malay Peninsula, when the central highlands have been more fully 

 worked, and collections made there comj^ared with those acquired on the alluvial coasts.]; 

 Even introduced plants wih often add a corresponding diversity in insect life. Mr. Uhler 

 found from an examination of the country in and around Denver in North America, particularly 

 on the west side, that the common weeds of the eastern division of the continent had already 

 established themselves there, and that, as was to be expected, many of the common insects 

 dependent upon them were present in abundance. § 



The material is not yet collected and tabulated by which the Ehopalocera of the Malay 

 Peninsula can be thoroughly and analytically compared with that of Sumatra, Java, ai d 

 Borneo ; but our facts are sufficient to show that the Malay butterflies have their nearest 

 relationship with those of Borneo — especially North Borneo ; 



in a lesser degree with those 



"-•= Joum. Linn. Soc, Zool., vol. ix. p. 352. \ Proc. Roy. Geof;raph. Soc. vol. xxii. no. vi. p. 25 (1878). 



\ This particularly struck the late Dr. Stoliczka when at the Nicobars, and he gave the following table, based on the 

 information of Hochsetter, to illustrate the fact : — 



Geological Chakacter or the usdeklving 

 Bock. 



Chaiiacter or Soil. 



Respective character of 

 Veget.ition. 



1. Salt and brackish swamp, damp marine 



alluvium. 



2. Coral conglomerate and coral sand, di-y 



marine alluvium. 



3. Coral conglomerate and coral sand, beside 



dry fresh-water alluvium. 



4. Fresh-water swamp and damp fi-esh-water 



alluvium. 



5. Plastic cla}', maguesiau clay, marls and 



partially serpentine. 



6. Sandstone, slate gabbro, drj- river alluvium. 

 — (' Stray Feathers,' vol. ii. p. 44.). 



Swampy ground, nut capable of cultivation. 



Fertile calcareous soil, principal constituents 

 carbonate and phosphate of lime. 



Fertile calcareous sandy soil. 



Swampy ground, capable of being cultivated. 



Not fertile, clayey soil, principal constituents 

 silicate of alumina and silicate id' magnesia. 



Loose claj'ey sandy soil, rich in alkidies and 

 lime, very fertile. 



Mangi'ove furest. 



Cocoa-palm forest. 



Large forest trees. 



Pandanus forest. 



Grassy jilains. 



Jungle (the true pri- 

 meval forest). 



§ Bull. U. S. Geol. & Geogr. Surv. vol. iii. p. 355. 



Mr. E. L. Layard has given a most interesting account of a similar occurrence : — " Many years ago, on my old 

 magistracy at Point Pedro, in Ceylon, we had a very rainy season. Up sprang a flower I had not previously noticed in the 

 north, the Aristotochia indica. Two beautiful insects, one a moth, the other a large Papillo, fi-equented it in the south of 

 the island, both unknown in the north. I said to my wife, ' Remember the marbled white ; let us watch.' True enough in 

 due time I captured the Papilios hovering over it, and found the glorious caterpillar of the moth feeding on it. Whence had 

 they come ? They were unknown in the north ! I believe from what I have experienced, that with insects a species may 

 remain dormant in the egg, and even at the pupa state, for j'ears, until some peculiar state of the atmosphere or other occult 

 causes bring them out" (' Field,' June 9, 1877, p. 074). 



II I am gi-eatly indebted to my friend Mr. W. B. Pryer for the opportunity— by the aid of his large collection— of 

 forming a somewhat thorough acquaintance with the Rhopalocera of Northern Borneo. 



