172 



A NATURALIST'S WANDEBINQS 



Laid lip for some weeks from ulcerated wonnds, I was 

 unable j>Graona!ly to do »o much on the higher parts of the 

 Besagi as I C4juld have desired. Prom what my hunters and 

 collectors brought in, it was evident that its elevation corre- 

 sponds very nearly with tbat of the Tengamus— about 7000 

 feet — in the Lamponga; myrtles, ericas, rhododendrons and 

 inoss-loviug ori'hid:3, and high-growing species of Melasto- 

 , macew were among the most characteristic plants. It was 

 ; trying to the temper to hear accounts of abundant tracks of 

 the line goat-like antelope (Ca/jr/coruw sumatrensk] whose 

 t footprints I Jiad so wistfully* followed on the Teugiimus 

 witlmut success. The return of my bird hunters, however, 

 was always for me the great event of the day. As birds 

 were very abundant, my collection increased rapidly. Among 

 the more interesting species may be mentioned Ormcim gouldij 

 one of the Trogons, the orange of whose breast washes com- 

 pletly out in spirit of wine ; Criniger gutturaliSf two species of 

 Mijophoneus (M. melanura and If. dicrorh^nckus), which in the 

 evening flitted about from stone to stone with a loud whistle, 

 the former quite endearing itself to me by its blackbinl- 

 like form and habits; Polt/plectron clialcururm, one of the 

 Phamanidie; and ArhorophUa per'sonata, a Httle jmrtridgo, 

 differing from the type in being more bliiish-ash on the breast 

 and more closely barrred with black on the back. 



I was, however, able to entomologise among the sunny avenue- 

 like roads that for several miles led away from the village, 

 where flocks of Ctjresies (N^mphaJlid^}^ spread their chastely 

 marked wings flat on the ground, and delicate Lycmnidss 

 disported in great numbers; of other Lepidoptera the more 

 interesting species may be named : Callidida javanim^ which 

 emitted a strong and disagreeable odour ; Mehnitis mtradevoy 

 on stumps of trees under the shade; a flue new species of 

 Amnosia ; EurJdnia fulva, lately discovered in Teniisserim by 

 my friend Captain Bingham ; one of the prettiest sjiecies of the 

 Eeophorid^. ; two new species of that curious genus named by 

 Butler Ilomopsj/che from their singular resemblance to a HomO' 

 pterori, and for which I at first took them • and Botfjs dedm(ah'Sf 

 a species known also from Ceylon, an island with which Sumatra 

 seems to have many species in common ; in Telok-betong I 

 netted a small moth at light, Pentmitrotns trmmersa, alfju 



