Habits of certain Bornean Butterflies. 213 



innumerable are the shapes, markings, and fractures of dead 

 leaves that but a very sketchy likeness to a good, well-pre- 

 served, dead leaf is sure to appear perfectly natural in the 

 jungle. 



Our Borneo butterflies are proof against the seductions of 

 sugar, even when flavoured with square-faced gin. We often 

 tried to tempt them, but they took no notice, and we never 

 had any chewed sugar-cane, which Mr. Pryer says they like. 

 Even the bees generally despised our sugar, though they would 

 come in swarms to our dried salt fish and even to plain salt. 

 This love of salt was shared in a modified degree by butter- 

 flies of the genera Papilio^ Catopsilia^ Gharaxes^ and others, 

 chiefly whites. The Piqnlios were of the sarpedon types, and 

 I never saw the dark memnon types touch it. When camped 

 on a stream our dyaks always took their fish to soak and wash 

 in the running water before cooking it ; and the spots where 

 the fish were laid on the sand were often perfectly smothered 

 with butterflies. They showed no fear and would come while 

 the dyaks were at work. Curetis will often settle on the salt 

 fish when it is drying, and be so intent on feeding that it can 

 be picked up. Generally these salt-resorts were smothered 

 with the following species : — 



Papilio sarpedon. Most common, 



agametnnon. Common. 



evemon. Less common. 



tnecisteun. Fairly coiumou. 



telephus. Fairly common. 



hdthijcles. Fairly common. 



arcyh'S. Less common. 



Hehomoia ? flare. 



Cato2}silia crocale. Common. 



Of the Pajyi^ios^ arcyJes and agamemnon are the most rest- 

 less and stay but a short time in one place. The contrast 

 between their sluggish movements when drinking and their 

 swift ordinary flight is very great. 



The difi'erent species of Terias, though fond of drinking in 

 groups, did not mix with the above species, nor did Gliaraxes. 



Ornithoptera Brookeana is a rare butterfly in this part of 

 Borneo ; but I have seen it in several parts of the interior of 

 the Darvel Bay peninsula. Once in the mountain region of 

 the head-waters of the River Segama I saw a pair hovering 

 about an orange-blossomed tree and watched them courting 

 for twenty minutes. The male was sipping the flowers, 

 vibrating its wings rapidly like a hawk-moth, the vivid green 

 markings flashing out as the sun played on them. Then the 



