70 



"The pupa state was assumed about the middle of May, within the skin of the 

 larva, and under the web of the spider in whose company both this species and 

 Tiresias serra live together under the loose bark of old oak trees. The imago appeared 

 on the 3rd of June." 



Mr. Stevens communicated the following extracts from a letter received by him 

 from Mr. A. R. Wallace, dated Batchian, January 28, 1859 : — 



" I had determined to leave here about this lime, but two circumstances decided 

 me to prolong my slay — first, I succeeded at last in taking the magnificent new 

 Ornithoplera, and, secondly, I obtained positive information of the existence here of a 

 second species of Paradisea, apparently more beauiiful and curions than the one 1 have 

 obtained. You may perhaps imagine my excilemenl when, after seeing it only two 

 or three times in three months, I at length took a male Ornithoptera. When I took 

 it out of my net, and opened its gorgeous wings, I was nearer fainting with delight 

 and excitement than I have ever been in my life ; my heart beat violently, and the 

 blood rushed to my head, leaving a headache for the rest of the day. The insect 

 surpassed my expectations, being, though allied to Priamns, perfectly new, distinct, 

 and of a most gorgeous and unique colour ; it is a fiery golden orange, changing, 

 when viewed obliquely, to opaline-yellow and green. It is, I think, the finest of the 

 Ornithoptera, and consequently i\\e finest butlerfiy in the world P Besides the colour, 

 it differs much in markings from all of the Priamus group. Soon after I first look it 

 I set one of my men to search for it daily, giving him a premium on every specimen, 

 good or bad, he takes; he consequently works hard from early morn to dewy eve, and 

 occasionally brings home one ; unfortunately several of them are in bad condition. I 

 also ocaasionally take the lovely Papilio Telemachus, n. s. 



" I have sent off a small box containing four males, one female, and one young 

 bird of the new Batchian Paradisea, besides one red-ticketed private specimen ; six 

 males and five females of the new Ornithoptera, and seven Papilio Telemachus. 



"Tell Mr. Gray and Mr. Gould that the Paradisea had belter not be described 

 yet, as I am making great exertions to get the second species, evidently of the same 

 genus, which will enable a generic character to be more accurately given. The but- 

 terflies, I trust, will be both figured, male and female, eilher in Mr. Hewitsou's book 

 or in Ent. Soc. Trans. For the Ornithoptera I propose Crcesus as a good name. 

 Butterflies are scarce; good beetles turn up occasionally, but nothing very grand. I 

 hare now a handsome series of Buprestid®, and a remarkably pretty lot of Longi- 

 corns ; one of my last acquisitions is a grand bronzy Tmesisiernus, 1^ inch long, a 

 single specimen only. In almost all orders, and in birds, there is a deficiency of spe- 

 cies ; yet there are so many pretty and brilliant things, and a few so grand and new, 

 that on the whole I am inclined to think my Batchian collection will be the best 

 I have made anywhere. 



" Another reason which may induce me to stay perhaps two or three months 

 longer at Batchian is that I have had no fever here, which I have never been free 

 from two months at a time for the last two years before; and I may therefore hope to 

 get my health well established for my next journey to New Guinea. 



" The butletflies will make a show-box which will, I think, be admired almost as 

 much as the birds of Paradise." 



Mr. Westwood observed that he had liule doubt the male Ornithoptera of which 

 Mr. Wallace had given such a glowing description, in the Idler just read, was the 

 Ornithoptera Tithonus of Dc Haan, figured on the first plate of his fine work on the 



