4396 Natural-History Collectors. 



" From the highest point in the island near here (only 500 feet) a good 

 view is obtained of the plantations which are everywhere formed by 

 the Chinese for the cultivation of pepper and gambic ; and it is appa- 

 rent that but few years can elapse before the whole island will be de- 

 nuded of its indigenous vegetation, when its climate will no doubt be 

 materially altered (probably for the worse), and countless tribes of in- 

 teresting insects become extinct. I am therefore working hard at the 

 insects alone for the present, and will give you some little notion of 

 what I have done and may hope to do. 



" First, then, in Lepidoptera I have been tolerably successful, having 

 in about twelve days obtained 80 species of Diurnes. If other loca- 

 lities prove equally rich I think the Eastern Archipelago may not fall 

 much short of S. America. I have already about 30 species of Lycae- 

 nidae and Ericinidae, some of which I have no doubt will prove new. 

 Among the larger species the most remarkable is a magnificent Idaea, 

 which is abundant in the forest, sailing or rather floating along, and 

 having to my eye a far more striking and majestic appearance than 

 even the Morphos of Brazil. It was a great treat to me to behold 

 them for the first time, as well as many other of the Eastern forms to 

 which I had pretty well familiarised my eye in collections at home. 

 The Euplceas here quite take the place of the Heliconidae of the Ama- 

 zons, and exactly resemble them in their habits. I have taken the 

 singular Danais Daos, Doub., figured by Boisduval as an Idaea, which 

 it exactly resembles in its colour, markings and flight; indeed there 

 are small specimens of the Idaea from which it cannot be distinguished 

 till captured, yet it is certainly a true Danais. The Leptocercus Cu- 

 rius is not uncommon here ; it is a Papilio Protesilaus in miniature. 

 Of true Papilios I have only four common species, and one of the 

 group resembling Euplcea, which may prove new. 



" I must now turn to the Coleoptera. I am delighted with them ; for 

 though all small at present, they are exceedingly beautiful and inte- 

 resting. I have 6 species of Cicindelas, all small; 13 Carabidae, 

 mostly minute, but very beautiful ; 10 — 12 Cleridae ; about 30 very 

 small Curculionidae ; and, mirabile dictu ! 50 species of Longicornes, 

 and it is only ten days since I took the first. Imagine my delight at 

 taking 8 to 10 a day of this beautiful group, and almost all different 

 species ; but the worst of it is that I have got into a place where there 

 are many woodmen and sawyers at work, and it is in the neighbour- 

 hood of the fallen timber that I get most of them, on the wing. Al- 

 most all are small, few exceeding an inch and many not much more 

 than a line. Under Boleti I have found some extraordinary Erotylidae. 



