296 AMBOTNA. [chap, xx 



hot sunshine, among the brandies and twigs and bark of 

 the fallen trees, every few niiuutes seciu-ing iosecta which 

 were iit that time almost all rare or new to Em-opeau 

 coUoctioiia, 



In the shady forest paths were many fine butterflies, 

 most conspicuous among which was the shining blue PapiUo 

 ulysses, one of the princes of the tribe. Though at liiat 

 time so rare in Europe, I found it absolutely connnun in 

 Amboyna, though not easy to obtain in tine conihtion, a 

 large number of tlie specimens being found when captured 

 to have the wings torn or brolien. It Hies with a rattier 

 weak undulating motion, and fram its large size, its taded 

 wings and brilliant colour, is one of the most tropical- 

 looking insects the natuniiist can gaze u]:>on. 



Tliere is a remarkable contrast between the beetles of 

 Amboyua and those of Jlaca^sar, the latter generally smaE 

 and obscure, the former large and brilliant. Un the wdiole, 

 tlie insects tiere most resemble those of the Aru islands, 

 bat they are almost always of distinct species, and when 

 they are most nearly allied to each other the species of 

 Aniboyna are of larger size and more brilliant colours, 

 so that one might be led to conclude that, in passing east 

 and west into a less favourable soil and climate, tlicy had 

 degeneratiid into less striking forma. 



Of an evening I generally sat reading in the verandah, 

 ready to capture* any iusects that were attracted to the 

 light. One night about nine o'clock, I heard a curious 

 noise and rnstling overliead, as if some heavy animal were 

 crawling slowly over the thatch. The noise soon ceased, 

 and 1 thuught no more about it and went to bed soon 

 sitterwards. Tlie next afteirnoon just before dinner, being 

 rather tired \\\\h my day's work, I was lying on the 

 couch with a book in my hand, when gazing upwards I 

 saw a large mass of something overhead which 1 had nut 

 noticed before. Looking more carefully I could see yellow 

 and black marks, and tli ought it must be a tortoise-shell 

 put up tliere out of the way between the ridge-pole and 

 the roof. Contiiuiiug to gaze, it suddenly resolved itself 

 into a large snake, compactly coiled up in a kind of knot ; 

 and 1 could detect his liead and his bright eyes in the 

 very centre of the folds. The noise of the evening before 



