Natural- History Collectors. 5019 



also are of wonderful variety and beauty ; I must have near 500 species 

 now in my private boxes. In Lamellicorns many fine species turn 

 up, but they are scarce. Dynastes, almost as large as one's fist 

 (M. Actaeon) ; some brilliant Phanaei, &c. ; Macraspis, Rutela, &c. 

 Curculiones also are endless in variety. Of course most of my time 

 is taken up by Diurnal Lepidoptera, as most European collections are 

 yet deficient in Ega species : in this department Ega is one of the 

 finest districts in the world. I should like to get an enthusiastic 

 Lepidopterist from England set down here for a morning's ramble 

 with me — just such a morning as to-day: the Callithea Batesii ap- 

 peared for the first time. There is a path along the beach, skirting 

 the banks of the Lake of Ega ; the land above is high and covered 

 with forest, and the beach is a grove of Araga trees : the limpid waters 

 of the. broad lake break gently on the sands: the trees overhead are 

 full of gaudy coloured birds ; the horned screamer (the noisiest bird 

 in the world) yells from the forest ; lonely swallows (dark blue, with a 

 ring of white across the breast) are flitting about ; but all along the 

 beach is a succession of the most beautiful butterflies in the world. 

 This morning I saw more species than constitute the whole English 

 Fauna in this department ; but I saw only four species of Papilio — 

 generally there are more : they are ten times more nimble than in 

 colder climates ; seeing them is not getting them nice and perfect in 

 your collecting-box, so that my supposed companion would get, very 

 shortly, a capital appetite for his turtle-soup and steaks before the 

 mid-day sun warned him to desist and avoid too great exhaustion." 



" September 14. — In accordance with Brazilian punctuality, the 

 schooner has not sailed, but the owner now says he goes positively 

 to-morrow. I have made some splendid captures since last date in 

 Coleoptera : fine new species in all families ; even a Dynastes, new to 

 me, two inches long. Some very fine new Longicorns : two new 

 species of the beautiful genus Gymnetis, which replaces here the 

 Cetoniae of the old world. 



u The steamer will be here positively on the 19th, when I hope there 

 will be letters from you. Believe this to leave me in good health, 

 though, to tell you frankly, I am compelled to be more careful of my- 

 self now than formerly, as my stomach is liable to get out of order, 

 and my skin is assuming a decidedly yellow cast. 



" H. W. Bates." 



