138 Dodd, A Naturalist in New Guinea. [vli ct 'xxx 



two or three species of Euplceas settling on tools that had been 

 used by the natives, these insects, with tongues extended, 

 searching for damp spots left by perspiration. In the building 

 we used later at Sapphire Creek were some bags of rice belonging 

 to the Copper Company, and natives would come for these 

 now and then. These men, hot from the walk, and perspiring, 

 would lean against the verandah posts or against the doorway. 

 After the men left we were always visited by these dark butter- 

 flies, they settling where the natives had leaned. Now and then 

 the Hesperid, Hasora chromus, would act in a similar way, and 

 once one of these skippers settled on the bare, damp arm of a 

 visitor. Mr. Prior informed me that small butterflies would 

 occasionally settle on his arm. One day I noticed a Lycaenid 

 flying about a saddled horse that had just been tied up to a 

 post. Curious, I crossed to it, and found the attraction to be 

 the recently-vacated saddle, the insect resting there with 

 tongue extended ; so quiet it was that I caught it between my 

 fingers, it being a male of Hypolyccena phorbas, an (Ecophylla 

 ant associate. I could relate many instances of curious habits 

 of butterflies — habits somewhat similar to these — however, 

 forbear doing so ; but of all the butterflies that drink at damp 

 sand or dirty puddles, I have never seen a female. Strange, is 

 it not, that many males on a much higher plane are afflicted 

 with a great thirst too ? Strange it is, and occasionally 

 regrettable ! 



In passing through one plantation at night we were often 

 charmed with the fire-fly display. These beetles would con- 

 gregate upon several trees adjacent to one another ; a little 

 distance from the circle but a few specimens would be observed. 

 Upon the favoured trees the insects would be in hundreds, and 

 it quite seemed that they diffused their light together ; there 

 would be the greater flash, and numerous smaller ones in 

 between. The light given out by this species is pale bluish, 

 and from the trees, and above where odd individuals were 

 flying, it was a beautiful sight. 



We took three species of large shielded grasshoppers. The 

 name " grasshopper " is inapplicable to these and other long- 

 antennaed Locustidae. Various small species may be in grass, 

 but the greater number and the larger species are found upon 

 shrubs and trees ; moreover, all are much less inclined to jump 

 than the grasshoppers proper. Our largest species was six 

 inches in length. 



A large twilight-singing Cicada we did not see, though we 

 often heard its really mournful song ; but another evening 

 singer we did get, a grass dweller, which sings for only 25 minutes 

 or so. We approached our first two victims warily, and, seeing 

 whitish things whence the song proceeded, and well knowing 



