IN SUMATRA. 177 



that of the air. It is abundantly stocked with fish and 

 bivalve mollusca ; but when they approach too near the 

 warmer shore, where the temperature is above 100° ¥., the 

 water instantly proves fatal to them. These springs and the 

 very frequent earthquakes — no fewer than three occurred during 

 my short stay — attest that, though the volcano is now qui- 

 escent, the interior of the earth here is in a very unquiet state. 



Tall forest trees clothed the high margins of the lake, which 

 descended here and there to grassy bays and level green 

 swamps ; on the sandy margins flourished fig-trees and Ery- 

 thrinas with large bright scarlet flowers, on whose crooked 

 stems flocks of blue herons [Butorides javanica) and pure 

 white egrets {Buhulcus coromandus) constantly sat dozing out 

 the heat of the day. In the early mornings they had busied 

 themselves in gathering the leeches and insects from the 

 backs of the buffaloes, by whom their kind offices seemed 

 highly appreciated. On the high solitary trees perched 

 clumsy, bald-headed adjutants {Lsptoptilus), whose thin long 

 legs always suggested the idea that they had escaped from 

 some taxidermist's hands when he had just got the length of 

 running the wires up their shanks. In the marshes snipe 

 abounded in great plenty ; grey djoo-jooats {Tringoides) on 

 the sandy beaches, and shy water-hens (Ht/potmnidia striata) 

 among the tall flags. The lake teemed with fish of many kinds, 

 the best being the semah (Leoharhus) which, when full-grown, 

 is as large as the largest salmon, and the katjubang (Botia 

 macranthiis), a small but most beautiful scarlet- and black- 

 banded fish. 



A few interesting captures of insects, many of them quite 

 new species, were made here by the margins of the lake ; 

 especially may be mentioned Xeropteryx simplicior, previously 

 known only from Borneo, and Heterodes ansonialis, described 

 before from the far-distant Duke of York Island, east of New 

 Guinea ; and two splendid new species of Papilio, P. itamputi 

 of Mr. Butler, and P. forhesi of Smith, allied to P. alcialiades. 



The village of Banding Agong, whither I moved for a short 

 time as the guest of Mr. Hisgen, the Controller of the district, 

 was a delightful spot, situated at the south-east angle on a 

 hi"-h but sheltered spot, commanding one of the finest views of 

 the lake that can be had, exactly fronting the volcano and the 



