226 COLLECTOR'S KAMBLES 



themselves to the victim. The bite is not at all pain- 

 ful, but one loses a good deal of blood from the wound. 



Some of the handsomest and largest dragon-flies I 

 have ever seen are found along the banks of the 

 Lalloki River. Many of them are brilliantly colored, 

 and even rival the butterflies in splendor. Butterflies 

 were not numerous near Narinuma, while we were 

 there, except perhaps half a- dozen kinds. One species, 

 which we called the ghost-butterfly (closely allied to 

 our wood-nymphs), was creamy white, with an eyelike 

 spot on each of the forward wings. It usually ap- 

 peared at or near the mouths of caves, where its 

 light color contrasted strangely with its sombre sur- 

 roundings. The flight of this species is very slow, for 

 I have often caught them in my hands while on the 

 wing. 



As Shelley and I were returning from one of our 

 rambles, well loaded down with blankets, birds, and 

 guns, we lay down on the grass, in an opening in the 

 forest, to rest a few minutes. 



A sudden exclamation from Shelley startled me 

 from my comfortable doze, and, looking up, I saw a 

 large butterfly flitting past. Alighting on a half- 

 decomposed log, he opened and closed his gorgeous 

 wings, which were a shining purplish pink for about 

 two-thirds of their surface, the rest being a broad 

 border of green, edged with black. 



We had no means of catching him, and although we 



