1886.] RHOPALOCERA FROM THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. 345 
disappeared, and a few were noticed flying high among the branches 
and quite out of reach. This was very tantalizing, and we must 
have walked nearly two miles before the first was captured. This was 
Drusilla phorcas, Westw., a low-flying but most conspicuous black- 
and-white species. Species of Danais and Euplea were the next to 
appear ; and then, whenever we passed any open spots, Lycenidee 
of various kinds became rather numerous; but altogether Butterflies 
could not be called abundant in this shady forest. A great many 
more were seen than captured, for every now and then a large Papilio 
dashed across the path, and was lost in the forest before one had time 
to make a stroke at it. Overhead cockatoos and parrots were 
screaming, and pigeons and doves cooing among the branches ; but 
the trees were so lofty, and the leaves so thick, that it was almost 
impossible to see them, and only one of the latter was obtained. 
Upon nearing the village, about noon, our guides set up a great 
shouting to apprise the inhabitants of our approach, and upon 
entering it we were surrounded by a crowd of naked savages, who 
seemed to be very pleased to seeus. We walked through the village 
and examined the various huts, which were very well constructed, and 
were much better built than those we had previously met with at the 
New Hebrides. After seeing all there was to be seen, we sat down 
in the shade of one of the huts and discussed our lunch, the natives 
boiling our solitary pigeon and some yams which they gave us, and 
very good they were. 
After lunch [ strolled about the clearings near the village, followed 
by a crowd of natives, who were much interested in my proceedings, 
and soon began to take an active part in the sport, and it was 
amusing to see them running madly after Butterflies with small 
bushes in their hands, with which they made frantic efforts to knock 
them down. Of course they very often succeeded, for they were 
extremely nimble, and then the broken fragments were brought to 
me in triumph, and I had to pretend to be much pleased. Butter- 
flies were fairly numerous in these clearings, and I captured among 
others several of the fine Papilio erskinei described further on. After 
the others had had an hour's rest, we started back and got on board 
again about six o’clock, pretty tired with our day’s excursion, for in 
some places it was most fatiguing, especially up-hill, where the path 
frequently took us over slippery soap-stones, which made walking 
very difficult and unpleasant. 
We left Ugi the following day, and after stopping for a few hours 
off Tesemboko in the island of Guadaleanar, proceeded to the Duke 
of York Islands. 
Our next visit to the Solomon Islands was in September 1883, 
when we stayed for three days in Blanche Harbour, Treasury Island, 
at the entrance of the Bougainville Straits. The harbour is a very 
beautiful one, being almost landlocked by other small islands, all of 
which are hilly and densely wooded. Unfortunately it rained 
nearly the whole time we were there ; but during the intervals of fine 
weather, when I was able to get on shore, I could not go very far, as 
I was only just recovering from a severe attack of fever, and was too 
Proc. Zoou. Soc.—1886, No. XXIII. 23 
