Entomology. 429 



and rare species. On the leaves of a slender shrub in an old 

 clearing I found several fine blue and black beetles of the genus 

 Eupholus, which almost rival in beauty the diamond beetles of 

 South America. Some cocoa-nut palms in blossom on the beach 

 were frequented by a fine green floral beetle (Lomaptera pa- 

 pua), which, when the flowers were shaken, flew off like a small 

 swarm of bees. I got one of our crew to climb up the tree, 

 and he brought me a good number in his hand ; and seeing 

 they were valuable, I sent him up again with my net to shake 

 the flowers into, and thus secured a large quantity. My best 

 capture, however, was the superb insect of the Buprestis fami- 

 ly, already mentioned as having been obtained from the na- 

 tives, who told me they found it in rotten trees in the mount- 

 ains. 



In the forest itself the only common and conspicuous Coleop- 

 tera were two tiger beetles. One (Therates labiata) was much 

 larger than our green tiger-beetle, of a purple-black color, with 

 green metallic glosses, and the broad upper lip of a bright yel- 

 low. It was always found upon foliage, generally of broad- 

 leaved herbaceous plants, and in damp and gloomy situations, 

 taking frequent short flights from leaf to leaf, and preserving 

 an alert attitude, as if always looking out for its prey. Its 

 vicinity could be immediately ascertained, often before it was 

 seen, by a very pleasant odor, like otto of roses, which it seems 

 to emit continually, and which may probably be attractive to 

 the small insects on which it feeds. The other (Tricondyla 

 aptera) is one of the most curious forms in the family of the 

 Cicindelidae, and is almost exclusively confined to the Malay 

 Islands. In shape it resembles a very large ant more than an 

 inch long, and of a purple-black color. Like an ant also, it is 

 wingless, and is generally found ascending trees, passing around 

 the trrmks in a spiral direction when approached to avoid cap- 

 ture, so that it requires a sudden run and active fingers to se- 

 cure a specimen, This species emits the usual fetid odor of 

 the ground-beetles. My collections during our four days' stay 

 at Ke were as follows : Birds, 1 3 species ; insects, 1 94 species ; 

 and 3 kinds of land-shells. 



There are two kinds of people inhabiting these islands — 

 the indigenes, who have the Papuan characters strongly mark- 

 ed, and who are pagans, and a mixed race, who are nominally 



