190 THE KE ISLANDS. [chap. xxix. 



primseval woods proceeded from two birds, the red lories, 

 who utter shrill screams like most of the parrot tribe, and 

 the large green nutmeg-pigeon, whose voice is either a 

 loud and deep boom, like two notes struck upon a veiy 

 large gong, or sometimes a harsh toad-like croak, altogether 

 peculiar and remarkable. Only two quadrupeds are said 

 by the natives to inhabit the island — a wild pig and a 

 Cuscus, or Eastern opossum, of neither of which could 

 I obtain specimens. 



The insects were more abundant, and very interesting. 

 Of butterflies I caught thirty-five species, most of them 

 new to me, and many quite unknown in European collec- 

 tions. Among them was the fine yellow and black Papilio 

 euchenor, of which but few specimens had been previously 

 captured, and several other handsome butterflies of large 

 size, as well as some beautiful little " blues," and some 

 brilliant day-flying moths. The beetle tribe were lessj 

 abundant, yet I obtained some very fine and rare species. 

 On the leaves of a slender shrub in an old clearing I found 

 several fine blue and black beetles of the genus Eupholus, 

 which almost rival in beauty the diamond beetles of South 

 America. Some cocoa-nut palms in blossom on the beach 

 were frequented by a fine green floral beetle (Lom.aptera 

 papua), which, when the flowers were shaken, flew off like 

 a small swarm of bees. I got one of our crew to climb up 

 the tree, and he brouglit me a gobd number in his hand : 



