232 CONFESSIONS OF A BEACHCOMBER 



the serrated leaves of the fern of God make living lacework 

 up and among the tangle of foliage, none is prettier than 

 the love flight of the green and gold butterfly {Ornithoptera 

 Cassandra). Human beings, who in their marriage cere- 

 monies array themselves to the best advantage and assume 

 their most charming traits, can hardly withhold attention 

 from other and more ethereal creatures when they become 

 subject to the divine passion. All have their moments of 

 bliss, and the butterfly — "the embodiment of pure felicity 

 — happy in what it has and happier still in searching for 

 something else" — reveals its " love-sickness and pain " as the 

 bloom of its gay and sportful existence. 



In the courtship of this particular species the male 

 exercises a singular fascination, while the female gracefully 

 and without hesitation submits to the spell. He has flitted 

 airily in the sunshine, glorying in a livery of green and gold 

 and black, has daintily sipped nectar from the scarlet 

 hibiscus flowers, has soared over the highest bloodwood in 

 wild but idle impulse, and in a flash, is fervently in love. 

 Judged by appearance alone he has chosen quite an un- 

 worthy bride. She is much the larger, darker and heavier, 

 and has little of the colouring of her passionate wooer on 

 her wings, though her body is decorated with unexpected 

 red. Her flight, ordina.rily, is cumbersome and slow, and 

 her demeanour pensive — almost prim. She seems to be of 

 a steady, matronly disposition, whereas the shape of the 

 wings of her mate alone denotes quite a different ideal of 

 life. He is all alert, charged to the full with nervous energy 

 — free, careless, inconsequent, but absolutely irresistible. 



When the pair meet, what time the fancies of butterflies 

 lightly turn to thoughts of love, he swoops impetuously 

 towards her and rises in a graceful curve, seeming to 

 enchant her with the display of his colours. She forthwith 

 amends her staid behaviour, and begins a quivering, flutter- 

 ing flight, rising and falling with gentle, rhythmical grace. 

 He, hovering about with rapid wing movements, harmoni- 

 ously responds to her undulations. Still maintaining her 

 coy contours she floats over the tree-tops, or descends 



