18GS.] 215 
But let us leave for awliilc the brilliant sunsliine, with its life and 
colour, and endeavour to realize in the shades of the wood that this is 
lointer time ! Here are pathways cut through the underwood, and the 
shade cast by trees so dense that it is like darkness to you at first. 
How much colder it feels here ! One sees but little insect life till one 
watches carefully. But look at all those very long-bodied, slender 
dragon-flies that are slowly steering their way about the low plants : 
what thorough creatures of the shade are they, and how different from 
their swift brethren of the waterside ! Moths of various kinds rise 
from the dry leaves and herbage on which you tread ; and then sud- 
denly rises up the large red-brown Gyllo Leda, a butterfly that never 
voluntarily leaves the " dim, religious light " of the woods, and delights 
to settle in the darkest corners on the dead leaves to which it bears so 
close a resemblance. Where the sunshine breaks through the screen 
of foliage, yellow-banded and spotted Sesperiidce are merrily darting 
about ; and even dark Satyridce of the genus Mycalesis, quitting for a 
few minutes the shades they love, chase each other slowly over the 
moist earth. Long files of large ants, with most vicious-looking man- 
dibles, traverse the ground in a determined and business-like manner ; 
one energetic set is dragging along a huge dark crimson Iiolus, which 
has been partly crushed by some passing foot, but retains sufiicient life 
to struggle against its myriad foes. Plainly, the aspect of the woods 
only serves to convince the entomologist that there is no " winter of 
his discontent " on the coast of Natal. 
And now let us glance at the richer, fuller life of summer in the 
same region. To do this, we will transport ourselves to the wider and 
less broken forest that lies at the back of the Berea. It is almost the 
" deep mid-noon," and, in the open where you stand, the sun pours 
down a flood of heat that makes you glad to rest awhile under the 
friendly shade of a large "flat-crown" Acacia. The heat, however, 
does not at all discompose your Kafir collector, who has encountered a 
sable friend, and squats with him in the full sunlight, glad of any excuse 
to do nothing. The indispensable snuff" is produced on both sides, from 
a small fur bag which is carried, faute de poche, in a neat roll thrust 
through the lobe of the ear. No word is uttered for a little, each 
gixing himself up to the full enjoyment of the snuff", which educes long- 
drawn sighs and copious tears of delight. In the conversation that 
ensues, it is plainly to be gathered that the friend is much puzzled by 
your Kafir's net and collecting box, and notably by the contents of the 
latter; but though your "intelligent Zulu" is not much more 
enlightened on the meaning of insect-collecting than was Funch's chaw- 
