30 [February, 



confiaing my walks chiefly to tlie shady paths among the nutmeg 

 gardens, groves of fruit trees, and small patches of wood which, as at 

 Amboyna, extend from the shore for about a mile inland. The nutmeg 

 appears to thrive here to perfection, and is a very handsome little 

 round-headed tree, rarely exceeding 25 or 30 feet in height, with 

 smooth bark and glossy, ovate, somewhat laurel-like leaves. Coffee 

 and cacao are also cultivated to a small extent, as well as sugar cane, 

 rice, &c., &c. 



Among my numerous captures were two fine species of the yellow 

 group of OrnitTioptera, which were often enough seen but rarely con- 

 descended to come within reach of the net. Four or five handsome 

 species of Papilio were more or less common, and an equal number of 

 species of Danais, including D. Archippus not rarely (its usual food- 

 plant being common), and a form of D.. Ghrysippus, were, with two or 

 three species of Gallidryas, the most characteristic butterflies of the. 

 more open places. Shady paths and thickets produced some beautiful 

 LyceenidcB and Satyridce (Tpthima, &c.), as well as an exceedingly 

 pretty dark brown and white species of Gyrestis commonly, Bhinopalpa 

 Salina? (rare), Messaras, a fine species of Precis, Euplcea, one species 

 only, &c., &c. Goleoptera were much more plentiful than at Amboyna, 

 some nice little Longicorns {Gnoma, &c.), Eroiylidee, Languriidie, 

 MhynchopJiora, &c., being obtained by beating the dead leaves remaining 

 on felled trees, the bark of which produced a few tine GarahidcB, Hete' 

 romera, Passalidce, &c. On the flower spathe ( ^J ) of a sugar palm 

 i^Sagnerus saccharifer) , which was unfortunately just out of reach of 

 my net, I saw quite a number of a fine green Getonia {Lomaptera sp.), 

 of which I succeeded in capturing only three specimens, as they, flew 

 off v>'ith a loud humming noise into the tree tops. On foliage, several 

 beautiful weevils were met with, notably a large Eupliolus (?), richly 

 marked with metallic emerald-green on a black ground, and a species 

 somewhat like a Liocus, completely invested with a thick coating of a 

 pure white powdery substance, not very fugitive to the touch. A little 

 "fire-fly" (PJiofuris sp.?) seemed not rare on shore, and sometimes^ 

 came off to the ship on calm evenings. The other Orders of insects 

 presented nothing very remarkable during my short stay. Among the 

 " curios " obtained here, the chief were the prepared skins of the 

 Birds of Paradise, for which Ternate is the great emporium ; those 

 brought to the ship for sale were chiefly dry flat skins of the yellow 

 species (Paradisea minor), but well made skins of this, and of some 

 of the better sorts (P. rubra, Gicinnurus regius, Parotia sexpennis, &c.), 

 were to be procured at not unreasonable prices. 



{To be continued'). 



