the Rhopalocera of Northern Borneo. 45 



high, and, owing to the rough ground, tree-stumps, &c., running- 

 is almost an impossibility, so that with such of them as do come 

 within reach one strike as a rule is all that is obtained, and 

 it is better if possible to wait until they settle somewhere and 

 then try to stalk them. Another difficulty is that many of them 

 distinctly dodge the net when struck at, necessitating a net 

 very much larger than is generally used in England. 

 Another great nuisance to the collector is the number of thorns 

 of all kinds, particularly those of the rattan-palms, so that, 

 while keeping an eye on the butterfly you are after, you have 

 to have a sort of general consciousness of the spot on which 

 you are going to step next and the foliage through which you 

 are carrying your net. 



One reason accounting for the large numbers of butterflies 

 that are sent from the tropics is found in the fact that there 

 is no cessation to the collecting-season there. "Whereas in 

 England three and a half months a year is about all the 

 butterfly-collector gets, in the tropics you can go on adding to 

 your collection day after day, year in and year out. 



Some genera are common in one place or situation, some in 

 another ; but those frequenting one set of situations are not 

 often found in places much differing in character, the amount 

 of sunshine determining each set of situations. These may 

 be classified as follows : — places exposed to the full blaze of 

 the sun ; places where bushes more or less break the sun's 

 full force ; places surrounded with trees^ but in themselves 

 fairly open, such as large forest-paths, small openings in the 

 forest, and so forth ; situations partly shaded ; situations 

 nearly entirely shaded, but where the sun's rays manage more 

 or less to struggle through ; and deep forest. Bushes along 

 river-banks in full sunshine also seem to be frequented by 

 several species not often seen elsewhere. All these places 

 have their separate habitues^ the habits of the several species 

 of a genus being usually identical : and though some are 

 common to more than one situation, while others wander 

 more or less, those frequenting one such place are not found 

 in any other. Deep gloomy forest, which in North Borneo 

 covers by far the great bulk of the country, is the least fre- 

 quented of any, one or two species of not common Morphinae 

 being almost the only things found there. Thaumantis 

 comes next perhaps in its preference for heavy forest. Erites 

 and Ragadia also like considerable shade. In places where 

 the sun gains limited entrance Lyc^nida? of various species 

 are always to be found, as well as all the Erycinidee I know, 

 and some of the Euthalice ; and as places with more sun are 

 sought the number of butterflies increases. It is on the sunlit 



