June, 1913 Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society 63 



pelago. The group is called Hebomoia, represented by the 

 type form H. glaucippe, on the mainland. Other species or 

 subspecies are named after the different islands from which they 

 come, such as celebensis, philippensis, javaensis, timoriensis and 

 several others, except the species roepstorfi from the Andamon 

 Islands, which has white primaries and yellow secondaries and 

 from Nias, vossi, which is entirely yellow. The characteristic 

 cardinal apex mark distinguishes all these beautiful species of the 

 group. All other variations mentioned above have both white 

 primaries and secondaries. The different local variations are 

 slight in most of them. The habit of the insect is peculiar. 

 The underside mimics dead leaves and the fly, seeking rest, 

 always lights on a dead branch, or leaf, and it is therefore 

 difficult to detect them. They are slow flyers and are there- 

 fore easily captured. Of course, a great many other species are 

 taken on the island but they are also represented in India or on 

 other islands and show but very slight variations. Some varia- 

 tions like Euploea niasina are named after the island. This island 

 of Nias is also the home of the celebrated head hunters. At 

 the slightest provocation they take the heads of their enemies and 

 throw them into a common ditch, after they have removed the 

 jawbone, from which they fashion bracelets and other ornaments. 

 Kibler tried to get some of the very old heads but could not find 

 one single perfect one — each and every one had the jawbone 

 removed to form the barbaric jewelry of some belle or chief of the 

 Nias head hunters. One of the natives asked Mr. Kibler what 

 he would pay him for a live head, i. e., one recently severed from 

 a victim. He assured him that it was very easy to procure one. 

 Kibler threatened him with the Government and he soon seemed 

 to forget his offer. Constant watch is necessary to protect ones' 

 self against their treachery and an almost God-like mastery is 

 necessary to insure one's life. At one time Kibler, through sheer 

 bravado, held off a horde of these head hunters, for eight hours 

 with a cocked rifle, threatening to shoot the first one who made an 

 advance. 



From Nias he went to Celebes— a tame country compared 

 with Nias. He crossed the island and finally settled in North 

 Celebes at a place called Menado, where he gathered a great 

 deal of entomological material— Papilio blumei, androcles, Actias 



