34 



PARA 



branches, and leaves ; the whole illuminated by a glowing 

 vertical sun, and reeking with moisture. 



In these swampy shades we were afraid at each step 

 of treading on some venomous reptile. On this first 

 visit, however, we saw none, although I afterwards found 

 serpents common here. We perceived no signs of the 

 larger animals and saw very few birds. Insects were 

 more numerous, especially butterflies. The most con- 

 spicuous species was a large, glossy, blue and black 

 Morpho (M. Achilles, of Linnaeus), which measures six 

 inches or more in expanse of wings. It came along the 

 alley at a rapid rate and with an undulating flight, but 

 diverged into the thicket before reaching the spot where 

 we stood. Another was the very handsome Papilio 

 Sesostris, velvety black in colour, with a large silky green 

 patch on its wings. It is the male only which is so 

 coloured ; the female being plainer, and so utterly unlike 

 its partner, that it was always held to be a diflerent 

 species until proved to be the same. Several other kinds 

 allied to this inhabit almost exclusively these moist 

 shades. In all of them the males are brilliantly coloured 

 and widely diflerent from the females. Such are P. 

 ^neas, P. Vertumnus, and P. Lysander, all velvety black, 

 with patches of green and crimson on their wings. The 

 females of these species do not court the company of the 

 males, but are found slowly flying in places where the 

 shade is less dense. In the moist parts great numbers 

 of males are seen, often four species together, threading 

 the mazes of the forest, and occasionally rising to settle 

 on the scarlet flowers of climbers near the tops of the 

 trees. Occasionally a stray one is seen in the localities 

 which the females frequent. In the swampiest parts, 

 we saw numbers of the Epicalia ancea, one of the most 

 richly-coloured of the whole tribe of butterflies, being 

 black, decorated with broad stripes of pale blue and 

 orange. It delighted to settle on the broad leaves of 

 the Uraniae and similar plants where a ray of sunlight 

 shone, but it was excessively wary, darting ofl with 

 Ughtning speed when approached. 



To obtain a fair notion of the number and variety of 

 the animal tenants of these forests, it is necessary to 

 follow up the research month after month and explore 

 them in diflerent directions and at all seasons. During*«> 

 several months I used to visit this district two or three 



