184 RAMBLES OF A NATUEALIST. [Ch. XII. 



island in this respect. No complete collection has hitherto 

 been made, though I have seen about 150 species in one 

 cabinet ; but a gentleman of the garrison, who has lately 

 arrived there, after a long apprenticeship among the Lepi- 

 doptera of Malacca, is now busy with his net, and wUl 

 doubtless soon make more species known. "When the road 

 above mentioned was in process of formation through the 

 jungle, some years ago, butterflies were so abundant that 

 they are described as having flown about in perfect clouds ! 

 and I am credibly iaformed, by Mr. Low, that he had taken 

 as many as two dozen in a single sweep of the net. For 

 the same reason, probably, cleared ground near the jungle is 

 always most productive of butterflies ; and as it is well 

 known that wherever ground is newly cleared new plants 

 immediately spring up, so also, under similar circumstances, 

 a new species of butterfly is likely to occur in the first season 

 after a clearance ; but although it may be in profusion then, 

 it does not follow that it is so in succeeding seasons ; and 

 the opportunity of securing specimens should not be lost on 

 account of the insect appearing to be so common. As an 

 example of this, it may be mentioned that when the com- 

 pound surrounding Mr. Low's house was cleared, a beautiful 

 species of Apatura appeared in myriads, and was abundant 

 all that season ; but ever since that time not more than one 

 or two specimens have been observed each year. 



The dominant species in Labuan are certainly Danais 

 juventa, abundant everywhere, and Neptis aceris, to which 

 may perhaps be added the little yellow Terias Hecabe. 

 Danais similis is also common here ; but these species ap- 

 peared to be represented at Sarawak by Danais crocea. 

 Many beautiful PapOios are met with ; but perhaps the most 

 striking and extraordinary of aU the Lepidoptera are the mag- 



