322 ARU. 



The splendid large Bird-winged Butterfly, with brilliant 

 green and velvety black wings {Or)iithoptera poseidoii), was 

 common in the woods, but flew high and was difficult to catch. 

 I shot one or two with dust shot, without their being utterly 

 damaged. I once, however, was lucky enough to find a flock 

 of about a dozen males, fluttering round and mobbing a single 

 female. They were then hovering slowly, quite close to the 

 ground, and were easily caught. 



The female had thus a large body of gaudy admirers from 

 which to make her choice. Interesting results might possibly 

 be derived from a series of experiments, in which, in the case 

 of brightly coloured and decorated butterflies, the colours 

 should be rubbed off" the wings of a few amongst a number of 

 males, or painted over of a black or brown colour. It might 

 be tested whether the females would always prefer the brightly 

 coloured ones. Dark-coloured butterflies might possibly have 

 the wings of the male touched up with a little colour. 



Similar experiments might be made with more chance of 

 success in the case of gaudy birds, the features of the cock 

 being dyed dark, or enhanced in colouring in the case of a 

 little decorated male. The hen might be kept in a cage 

 between two males, and it might be noted to which she gave 

 the preference ; and then, whether an alteration in the colours 

 of the plumage caused a change in her inclination. If the 

 artificial increase of colouring succeeded as an experiment, 

 then experiments might be made to learn what colours, or 

 mixture of colours, is most attractive in various cases.* 



A party visited Wanumbai, Mr. Wallace's old hunting- 

 ground, in the ship's steam-pinnace. We steamed across a 

 sort of lagoon, shut in by the islands, passing on the way a 

 large Sea Snake on the top of the water, and made our way up 

 the remarkable canal-like channel, for the formation of which 

 Mr. Wallace found it difficult to account. The people of 

 Wanumbai were very much scared at the appearance of the 

 pinnace, full of men with guns, but we had taken some Malays 

 from Dobbo with us to act as pilots, and introduce us, and 

 they jumped on shore and addressed the people of Wanumbai 

 ( " Orang Wanumbai, Ye men of Wanumbai,"), and soon made 

 matters right. They told them that we had only come to shoot 



Mr. Tegetmeier stained some pigeons with magenta at Mr. Darwin's 

 request, but the birds were not much noticed by the others. Mr. Darwin 

 cites the case of the pied peacock, and that of tlie silver pheasant which 

 had its plumage spoiled, and which was then rejected by the hens. 

 No systematic experiments, however, seem to have been made on this 

 subject, though they could easily be carried out in the case of birds. 

 C. Darwin, "The Descent of Man," Vol.11., pp. Ii8, 120. London, 

 Murray, 1 87 1. 



