212 Mr. 8. B. J. Skertchly on the 
The conclusion I have come to is that the great bulk of 
the butterflies are confined to the river-valleys, that they only 
take occasional journeys into or over the forest, and that 
clearings, by opening up the forest, give rise to an actual 
increase in the number of butterflies which prefer sunshine and 
partial shade. . 
The majority of butterflies still fly near the ground, possibly 
all did originally, and certainly in this tropical primeval forest 
very few, if any, habitually frequent tree-tops. This is 
instructive, as our forest is very peculiar in one feature—it is 
never swept by storms. The north-east coast of Borneo 
enjoys perpetual calm weather, nothing approaching a gale is 
known, a stiff breeze isa rarity and seldom endures for an 
hour. Butterflies therefore are not debarred from the forest- 
top by heavy weather; they voluntarily avoid it. 
We have many flowering creepers which ascend the tree- 
trunks, and most of our orchids live high up on the trees; yet 
as a rule they do not attract butterflies, though bees swarm 
over them. This seems to point, as many other facts do, to 
butterflies being still as much terrestrial as aerial creatures. 
Ill. Habits of particular Species. 
There is an infinite variety in the general habits of butter- 
flies ; but as a special paper is in preparation on their flight, 
I will here only give a few particulars on other points. 
Most butterflies in settling do so more or less deliberately ; 
they fly direct to the object, slow down their speed, pitch 
quietly, and adjust their wings slowly. But the leaf-mimickers, 
like Amathusia, Thaumantis, Discophora, Precis, and Kallima, 
behave quite differently ; they fly rapidly along, as if late for 
an appointment, suddenly pitch, close their wings, and become 
leaves. It is generally done so rapidly that the insect seems 
to vanish. Amathusia phidippus, a crepuscular species, has 
been frequently observed on a forest-path over which depend 
many creepers. It hurries along, suddenly pitches, always 
head downwards, and is a dead leaf. Many leaf-butterflies 
have escaped our nets because, though we have carefully 
marked them down, we have hesitated too long as to which 
leaf to catch. 
It may here be remarked that the degree of verisimilitude 
as observed in the cabinet has no relation to the real powers 
of concealment. Aallimas are the most perfect leaf-butterflies ; 
but they are not really more difficult to detect than the appa- 
rently much less leaf-like Zeuxtdias or Amathusias. So 
