A Naturalist's Pleasures. 241 



teva at rest, and an easy j^rey. At certain rotten trunks I 

 was sure to get the curious little tiger-beetle (Therates flavi- 

 labris). In the denser thickets I would capture the small 

 metallic blue buttei-flies (Amblyjiodia) sitting on the leaves, as 

 Avell as some rare and beautiful leaf-beetles of the families 

 HispidiE and Chrysomelidae. 



I found that the rotten jack-fruits were very attractive to 

 many beetles, and used to si^lit them partly open and lay them 

 about in the forest near my house to rot. A morning's search 

 at these often produced me a score of species — Staphylinidae, 

 Nitidulidoe, Onthoj^hagi, and minute Carabidse being the most 

 abundant. Now and then the " sagueir " makers brought me 

 a fine rosechafer (Sternoplus schaumii) which they found lick- 

 ing up the sweet sap. Almost the only new birds I met with 

 for some time Avere a handsome ground-thrush (Pitta celeben- 

 sis), and a beautiful violet-croAvned dove (Ptilonopus celeben- 

 sis), both very similar to birds I had recently obtained at Aru, 

 but of distinct species. 



About the latter part of September a heavy shower of rain 

 fell, admonishing us that we might soon expect wet weather, 

 much to the advantage of the baked-up country. I therefore 

 determined to pay a visit to the falls of the Maros River, sit- 

 uated at the point where it issues from the mountains — a spot 

 often visited by travellers, and considered very beautiful. Mr. 

 M. lent me a horse, and I obtained a guide from a neighbor- 

 ing village ; and taking one of my men with me, we started 

 at six in the morning, and after a ride of two hours over the 

 flat rice fields skirting the mountains which rose in grand 

 precipices on our left, we reached the river about half-way 

 between Maros and the falls, and thence had a good bridle- 

 road to our destination, which we reached in another hour. 

 The hills had closed in round us as we advanced ; and when 

 we reached a ruinous shed which had been erected for the ac- 

 commodation of visitors, we found ourselves in a flat-bottomed 

 valley about a quarter of a mile wide, bounded by precipitous 

 and often overhanging limestone rocks. So far the ground 

 had been cultivated, but it now became covered with bushes 

 and large scattered ti'ees. 



As soon as my scanty baggage had arrived and Avas duly 

 deposited in the shed, I started off alone for the fall, which 



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