Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
where, at damp places, muddy pools, or even on the dry rocks, all sorts of insects could be
found. In these rocky forests dwell some of the finest butterflies in the world. Three species
of Ornithoptera, measuring seven or eight inches across the wings, and beautifully marked
with spots or masses of satiny yellow on a black ground, wheel through the thickets with a
strong sailing flight. About the damp places are swarms of the beautiful blue-banded
Papilios, miletus and telephus, the superb golden green P. macedon, and the rare little
swallow-tail Papilio rhesus, of all of which, though very active, I succeeded in capturing
fine series of specimens.
I have rarely enjoyed myself more than during my residence here. As I sat taking my cof-
fee at six in the morning, rare birds would often be seen on some tree close by, when I
would hastily sally out in my slippers, and perhaps secure a prize I had been seeking after
for weeks. The great hornbills of Celebes (Buceros cassidix) would often come with loud-
flapping wings, and perch upon a lofty tree just in front of me; and the black baboon-mon-
keys, Cynopithecus nigrescens, often stared down in astonishment at such an intrusion into
their domains; while at night herds of wild pigs roamed about the house, devouring refuse,
and obliging us to put away everything eatable or breakable from our little cooking-house.
A few minutes' search on the fallen trees around my house at sunrise and sunset, would of-
ten produce me more beetles than I would meet with in a day's collecting, and odd moments
could be made valuable which when living in villages or at a distance from the forest are in-
evitably wasted. Where the sugar-palms were dripping with sap, flies congregated in im-
mense numbers, and it was by spending half an hour at these when I had the time to spare,
that I obtained the finest and most remarkable collection of this group of insects that I have
ever made.
Then what delightful hours I passed wandering up and down the dry river-courses, full of
water-holes and rocks and fallen trees, and overshadowed by magnificent vegetation! 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 would produce. At one place I would find a little crowd
of the rare butterfly Tachyris zarinda, which would rise up at my approach, and display their
vivid orange and cinnabar-red wings, while among them would flutter a few of the fine
blue-banded Papilios. Where leafy branches hung over the gully, I might expect to find a
grand Ornithoptera at rest and an easy prey. At certain rotten trunks I was sure to get the
curious little tiger beetle, Therates flavilabris. In the denser thickets I would capture the
small metallic blue butterflies (Amblypodia) sitting on the leaves, as well as some rare and
beautiful leaf-beetles of the families Hispidæ and Chrysomelidæ.
