144 A NATURALIST IN CANNIBAL LAND 



came in next another species of the great purple- 

 eyed owl butterfly. This is indeed a very beautiful 

 insect. It has two big eyes on the under-side of the 

 hind-wing and one purple eye on the top-side of the 

 hind-wing, and a large snow-white patch across the 

 fore- wing, which is very wide. The day of this capture 

 some Eleda boys came over from the head of the Aroa 

 with many fine specimens of Ornithoptera. They told 

 me they had their chief " medicine man " in the bush 

 under the blossom trees " saying his prayers " 

 (making " pouri-pouri ") to induce the butterflies to 

 come. They were much more successful than my own 

 boys; whether the butterflies were more numerous 

 there, or whether the natives were more energetic, I 

 could not say. But I did not give the " medicine 

 man " any of the credit. 



I have never noticed in New Guinea any birds 

 hunting the butterflies, and I think that these 

 gorgeous insects can have no natural enemy. If they 

 had they would all soon be exterminated, since their 

 colours are so striking and their powers of escape so 

 very slight. I know of many cases in which certain 

 species of moths are hunted regularly by birds, but 

 I never recollect having seen a butterfly captured or 

 hunted by a bird. 



After I had got the first specimen of the male 

 Troides chimcera I showed it to my native collectors, 

 and to the natives of the district who were helping 

 me in collecting, and after that several specimens 



