BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES 227 



tried the schoolboy trick of using our hats, he took 

 alarm ; and after circling once or twice around our 

 heads, apparently just to show us how lovely he was, 

 sailed away over the tree-tops. From the shape of his 

 wings we concluded he belonged to the ornithoptera, 

 but was probably a new species ; and it remains for 

 some future naturalist to catch and describe him. I 

 really thought him the handsomest butterfly I ever 

 saw; but one is apt to think a thing he loses better 

 than that he gains. There is one more insect I wish 

 to mention, before proceeding with my narrative. 



Opposite our house was a flowering tree, some thirty 

 feet high. One day, as we were eating our dinner, we 

 saw two remarkable-looking butterflies, chasing each 

 other about this tree. The under sides of their wings 

 were jet black ; while the upper were a bright yellow, 

 and gleamed in the sunlight like polished metal. We 

 both took our nets, and waited for them to come down ; 

 but as they kept near the top of the tree, we were 

 finally obliged to climb up among the branches. We 

 did not have long to wait there, for I scooped one in 

 with my net, and the other left soon after. On open- 

 ing the wings of my captive, I was almost dazed with 

 the beauty of its coloring, as I had never before seen 

 any living thing at all like it. The wings looked as 

 if gold-leaf had been spread upon them. The insect 

 measured about three inches across the expanded wing. 



It was during the dry season that we were in Papua, 



