OHAP, XXVJl.J 



0/ THE MOLUCCAS, 



401 



loanit to respect tlie^e birds and leave tliem alone, and it 

 may tlius be a great advantage for the weaker aud less 

 courageous Mimetas to be iniatakea for them. This being 

 the case, the laws of Variation and Survival of tlie 

 Fittest, will suffice to explain how the resemblance hns 

 bueii brought about, without supposing any voluirtarv 

 action on tlie part of the birds themselves ; and those wlio 

 have read Mr. Darwin's "Origin of Species" will have no 

 diffiuulty in comprehending the whole process. 



The inaects of the Moluccas are pre-eminently beautiful, 

 even when compared with the varied and beautiful pro- 

 ductions of other parts af the Archipelago, The grand 

 hi iij -winged butterflies (Ornithoptera) here reach their 

 maximum of size and beauty, and many of the Papilios, 

 Pieridie, Danaidce, aud Kymphalidfe are equally pre- 

 eminent There is, perliaps, no island in the world so 

 small as Amboyna where so many grand insects are to be 

 found. Here are three of the very finest Oniithoptene— 

 lu'iamiiSj belena, and remns ; three of the handsomest and 

 largest PaplHos — ulysses, deipliobus, aud gambrisius ; one 

 of the handsomest rieriihe, Iphias leucippe; the largest of 

 the Danaidoe, Ilestia idea; and two miusually large and' 

 liauilsome Nymphalidie — Diudema pandarus, and Chamxes 

 enrj'alus. Among its beetles are the extraordinary 

 Euchirus longiraanus, whose euoruious legs spread over a 

 space of eiglit inches, and an unusual number of large and 

 handsome Longicorns, Antbribidie, and Buprestidte. 



TLie beetles figured on the plate as characteristic of the 

 Moluccas are i 1. A small specimen of the Enchirus longi- 

 nianus, or Long-arme4 Chafer, which has been already 

 mentioned in the account of my residence at Amboj'na 

 (Cliapter XX.). The female has the fore legs of moderate 

 leugth, 2. A fine u'ee\*il, (an undescribed species of Ku- 

 |iholus,) of rich blue and emendd green colours, banded 

 with black. It is a native of Ceram and Goram, and is 

 foiajid on foliage. 3. A female of Xenocerus semiluc- 

 tuosus, one of the Anthribidie of delicate silky white 

 and black colours. It is abundant on fallen trunks 

 and stumps in Cerani and Anilioynn, 4 An nnde- 

 scribiid sjiccies of Xenocerus ; a male, with verj^' long and 

 curious antennae, and elegant black and wliite markings, 



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