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Show 1886.] RHOPALOCERA FROM THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. 345 disappeared, and a few were noticed flying high among the branches and quite out of reach. This was very tantalizing, and we must have walked nearly two miles before the first was captured. This was Drusilla phorcas, Westw., a low-flying but most conspicuous black-and- white species. Species of Danais and Euplcea were the next to appear ; and then, whenever we passed any open spots, Lycenidae of various kinds became rather numerous ; but altogether Butterflies could not be called abundant in this shady forest. A great many more were seen than captured, for every now and then a large Papilio dashed across the path, and was lost in the forest before one had time to make a stroke at it. Overhead cockatoos and parrots were screaming, and pigeons and doves cooing among the branches ; but the trees were so lofty, and the leaves so thick, that it was almost impossible to see them, and only one of the latter was obtained. Upon nearing the village, about noon, our guides set up a great shouting to apprise the inhabitants of our approach, and upon entering it we were surrounded by a crowd of naked savages, who seemed to be very pleased to see us. W e walked through the village and examined the various huts, which were very well constructed, and were much better built than those we had previously met with at the New Hebrides. After seeing all there was to be seen, we sat down in the shade of one of the huts and discussed our lunch, the natives boiling our solitary pigeon and some yams which they gave us, and very good they were. After lunch I strolled about the clearings near the village, followed by a crowd of natives, who were much interested in my proceedings, and soon began to take an active part in the sport, and it was amusing to see them running madly after Butterflies with small bushes in their hands, with which they made frantic efforts to knock them down. Of course they very often succeeded, for they were extremely nimble, and then the broken fragments were brought to me in triumph, and I had to pretend to be much pleased. Butterflies were fairly numerous in these clearings, and I captured among others several of the fine Papilio erskinei described further on. After the others had had an hour's rest, we started back and got on board again about six o'clock, pretty tired with our day's excursion, for in some places it was most fatiguing, especially up-hill, where the path frequently took us over slippery soap-stones, which made walking very difficult and unpleasant. W e left Ugi the following day, and after stopping for a few hours off Tesemboko in the island of Guadalcanal proceeded to the Duke of York Islands. Our next visit to the Solomon Islands was in September 1883, when we stayed for three days in Blanche Harbour, Treasury Island, at the entrance of the Bougainville Straits. The harbour is a very beautiful one, being almost landlocked by other small islands, all of which are hilly and densely wooded. Unfortunately it rained nearly the whole time we were there ; but during the intervals of fine weather, when I was able to get on shore, I could not go very far, as I was only just recovering from a severe attack of fever, and was too P R O C . Z O O L . Soc-1886, No. XXIII. 23 |