Insects. 7329 



made a prisoner, not, however, without the loss of his tail ; a couple 

 of yellow centipedes follow his example, drop on the ground, and 

 vanish in a most desperate hurry ; numerous small Juli are coiled up 

 in the rotten wood, and under damp close-laid masses of bark are the 

 flattened bodies of the Prognathae ; they are deep chesnut-brown, and 

 somewhat larger than the European species. Small trickling rivulets 

 permeate the undergrowth in this wild jungle-corner of Java. Stooping 

 down to take a drink at one of these (for the thermometer here stands 

 at 90® in the shade) I start. Robinson Crusoe when he saw the "print 

 of a man's foot in the sand" could not have been more completely 

 taken aback. Under my very nose the fresh impress of a tiger's paw 

 is manifest. My outspread hand just covers it. Aware, however, of 

 of the crepuscular habits of these cat-like monsters I am speedily re- 

 assured, and the presence of some long-spired Melanise in the stream 

 diverts my attention from this ominous trace of the much-dreaded 

 man-slayer. Two villages in the immediate neighbourhood are deserted, 

 having been recently desolated by tigers. 



Among the foliage of the trees Nanina citrina is discovered, and 

 under the debris and dead twigs a fine spotted species of Pythia 

 (P. pantherina of A. Adams) is found, while pretty silver-marked Cas- 

 sidae alight on the sunlit blades of horizontal leaves, and, without 

 ceasing, the loud grating noise of Cicadse vibrates through the wilder- 

 ness. 



And here I really must relate a ludicrous incident that happened to 



my friend B . Anxious to explore the tiger-haunted precincts of 



one of the deserted villages, he is confronted on his way by a stream. 

 Nothing daunted, however, he plunges in and swims to the opposite 

 bank. Here he finds a smouldering wood fire, which he gaily 

 replenishes, and then hangs up his dripping " inexpressibles " on a 

 stick to dry. In his now somewhat primitive costume he then pro- 

 ceeds to examine with the eye of a hunter the tracks of rhinoceros and 

 other "fer^ NatutcB^^ which, he states, do greatly abound there. 

 Having satisfied even his curiosity, our young friend goes of course 

 to the bank of the stream to reclaim his nether habiliments. Alas ! 

 nothing but a burnt shred is visible. No choice remains but to make 

 his way back through the difficult jungle, defiant of scratches, in- 

 sensible to thorns, and eventually to present himself on board, an object 

 of astonishment to his beloved messmates. 



Arthur Adams. 



VOL. XIX. 



