onAP. XVI.] 



ABUNDANCE OF INSECTS. 



233 



villages or at a distance from tlie forest are inevitably 

 wasted Where the sugar-pal uis were drijiping with sap. 

 flies congregated in iranicnse numbers, and it was by 

 ?[>endin}T hulf an hour at these when 1 had the time to 

 spare, that I obtained the finest and most remarkable 

 collection of this gfoup of insects that 1 have ever made. 



Then what delightful hours I passed wandering up and 

 down the dry river-courses, full of water-lioles and rocks 

 and fallen trees, and overshadowed by inagniiicent vege- 

 tation ! I soon got to know every hole and rock and 

 stump, and came up to each with cautious step and bated 

 breath to see what treasures it woidd produce. At (uie 

 place I would hnd a little crowd of the rare butterHy 

 Tachyris zarinda, which would rise up at my approach, 

 and display their \nvid orange and cinnabar-red wings, 

 while among them would flutter a few of the line blue- 

 banded Papilios. Where leafy brandies hung over tho 

 gully, I might expect to find a grand Oi-nitlioptera at rest 

 and an easy prey. At cerfc-ain rotten trunks 1 was sure to 

 get the ciirious little tiger beetle, Theratcs tlavilabris. 

 In the denser thickets I would capture the small nietal- 

 * lie blue butterflies (Amldypodia) sitting on the leaves, 

 as well as some rare and beaut ifal leid-l)eeth:s of the 

 families Hispidte and Chrysonielid^e. 



1 found that the rotten "jack-fruits were very attractive 

 to many beetles, and used to split them partly open and lay 

 them about In the forest near my house to rot A morn- 

 ing's searcli at these often produced me a score of species, 

 — vSt^iphylinidie, KitidnlidiB, Onthopbagi, and minute Cam- 

 bidse being the most abundant. Now and then the 

 " sagueir " makei-s brought me a fine rosecliafer (Slernoplus 

 schaumii) wliich they fonud licking up the sweet sap. 

 Almost the only new bird* I met with for some time 

 were a handsome ground thrush (Pitta cclebensis), and 

 a beautiful violet-crowned dove (Ptilonopus celebensis), 

 Ijotli very similar to birds 1 Iiad recently obtained at 

 Aru, but of di>5tiuct species. 



Almnt the latter part of September a heavy shower of 

 rain fell, arbnonishing us that we might soon expect wet 

 weather, nmch to the advantage of the Vinkcd-up country. 

 I therefore determined to pay a visit to tlie falls of the 



