CHAPTER IV 



THE DENIZENS OF THE FOREST 



So far we have paid attention almost exclusively to 

 the plant life. But all through Sikkim the insect 

 life presses itself just as insistently on our notice. 

 In the tropical portion it is unbelievably abundant 

 and varied. It swarms about us and is ever present. 

 And much of it is as beautiful as the flowers. For 

 sheer attractiveness the butterflies are as compelling 

 as the orchids. Mosquitoes, gnats, flies, leeches, 

 every torment there is. But we forgive everything 

 for the chance of being able to see alive and in the 

 full glory of their colouring these brilliant gems of 

 the insect world which we can in places view in hun- 

 dreds and thousands at a time — and in extraordinary 

 variety, for in this little country more than six 

 hundred species are found — about ten times as 

 many as are met with in England. Moreover, 

 there is no season when they are wholly absent, for 

 in the hot valleys they may be seen all the year 

 round, though naturally there are more in the 

 summer than in the winter. 



If it were not for other attractions we would like 

 to concentrate our attention on these beautiful 

 creatures alone. For they fascinate us by the 

 daring of their colours, by their bold designs, by the 

 way in which they blend the colours with one an- 



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