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uainted on the banks of the Amazon。 They live very poorly as regards their house and furniture； but preserve a semi…European dress； and have almost all full suits of black for Sundays。 They are nominally Protestants； but Sunday evening is their grand day for music and dancing。 The men are often good hunters； and two or three times a week； deer or wild pigs are brought to the village； which； with fish and fowls； enables them to live well。 They are almost the only people in the Archipelago who eat the great fruit…eating bats called by us 〃flying foxes。〃 These ugly creatures are considered a great delicacy； and are much sought after。 At about the beginning of the year they come in large flocks to eat fruit； and congregate during the day on some small islands in the bay； hanging by thousands on the trees； especially on dead ones。 They can then be easily caught or knocked down with sticks； and are brought home by basketsfull。 They require to be carefully prepared； as the skin and fur has a rank end powerful foxy odour； but they are generally cooked with abundance of spices and condiments； and are really very good eating； something like hare。 The Orang Sirani are good cooks； having a much greater variety of savoury dishes than the Malays。 Here； they live chiefly on sago as bread； with a little rice occasionally； and abundance of vegetables and fruit。
It is a curious fact that everywhere in the Past where the Portuguese have mixed with the native races they leave become darker in colour than either of the parent stocks。 This is the case almost always with these 〃Orang Sirani〃 in the Moluccas； and with the Portuguese of Malacca。 The reverse is the case in South America； where the mixture of the Portuguese or Brazilian with the Indian produces the 〃Mameluco；〃 who is not unfrequently lighter than either parent； and always lighter than the Indian。 The women at Batchian； although generally fairer than the men； are coarse in features； and very far inferior in beauty to the mixed Dutch…Malay girls； or even to many pure Malays。
The part of the village in which I resided was a grove of cocoa… nut trees； and at night； when the dead leaves were sometimes collected together and burnt； the effect was most magnificent the tall stems； the fine crowns of foliage； and the immense fruit…clusters； being brilliantly illuminated against a dark sky； and appearing like a fairy palace supported on a hundred columns； and groined over with leafy arches。 The cocoa…nut tree； when well grown； is certainly the prince of palms both for beauty and utility。
During my very first walk into the forest at Batchian； I had seen sitting on a leaf out of reach； an immense butterfly of a dark colour marked with white and yellow spots。 I could not capture it as it flew away high up into the forest； but I at once saw that it was a female of a new species of Ornithoptera or 〃bird…winged butterfly；〃 the pride of the Eastern tropics。 I was very anxious to get it and to find the male； which in this genus is always of extreme beauty。 During the two succeeding months I only saw it once again； and shortly afterwards I saw the male flying high in the air at the mining village。 I had begun to despair of ever getting a specimen； as it seemed so rare and wild； till one day； about the beginning of January； I found a beautiful shrub with large white leafy bracts and yellow flowers； a species of Mussaenda； and saw one of these noble insects hovering over it； but it was too quick for me； and flew away。 The next clay I went again to the same shrub and succeeded in catching a female； and the day after a fine male。 I found it to be as I had expected； a perfectly new and most magnificent species； and one of the most gorgeously coloured butterflies in the world。 Fine specimens of the male are more than seven inches across the wings； which are velvety black and fiery orange； the latter colour replacing the green of the allied species。 The beauty and brilliancy of this insect are indescribable； and none but a naturalist can understand the intense excitement I experienced when I at length captured it。 On taking it out of my net and opening the glorious wings； my heart began to beat violently； the blood rushed to my head； and I felt much more like fainting than I have done when in apprehension of immediate death。 I had a headache the rest of the day； so great was the excitement produced by what will appear to most people a very inadequate cause。
I had decided to return to Ternate in a week or two more； but this grand capture determined me to stay on till I obtained a good series of the new butterfly； which I have since named Ornithoptera croesus。 The Mussaenda bush was an admirable place； which I could visit every day on my way to the forest； and as it was situated in a dense thicket of shrubs and creepers； I set my man Lahi to clear a space all round it； so that I could easily get at any insect that might visit it。 Afterwards； finding that it was often necessary to wait some time there； I had a little seat put up under a tree by the side of it； where I came every day to eat my lunch； and thus had half an hour's watching about noon； besides a chance as I passed it in the morning。 In this way I obtained on an average one specimen a day for a long time； but more than half of these were females； and more than half the remainder worn or broken specimens； so that I should not have obtained many perfect males had I not found another station for them。
As soon as I had seen them come to flowers； I sent my man Lahi with a net on purpose to search for them； as they had also been seen at some flowering trees on the beach； and I promised him half a day's wages extra for every good specimen he could catch。 After a day or two he brought me two very fair specimens； and told me he had caught them in the bed of a large rocky stream that descends from the mountains to the sea abort a mile below the village。 They flew down this river； settling occasionally on stones and rocks in the water； and he was obliged to wade up it or jump from rock to rock to get at them。 I went with him one day； but found that the stream was far too rapid and the stones too slippery for me to do anything； so I left it entirely to him； and all the rest of the time we stayed in Batchian he used to be out all day； generally bringing me one； and on good days two or three specimens。 I was thus able to bring away with me more than a hundred of both sexes； including perhaps twenty very fine males； though not more than five or six that were absolutely perfect。
My daily walk now led me； first about half a mile along the sandy beach； then through a sago swamp over a causeway of very shaky poles to the village of the Tomore people。 Beyond this was the forest with patches of new clearing； shady paths； and a considerable quantity of felled timber。 I found this a very fair collecting ground； especially for beetles。 The fallen trunks in the clearings abounded with golden Buprestidae and curious Brenthidae； and longicorns； while in the forest I found abundance of the smaller Curculionidae； many longicorns； and some fine green Carabidae。
Butterflies were not abundant； but I obtained a few more of the fine blue Papilio； and a number of beautiful little Lycaenidae； as well as a single specimen of the very rare Papilio Wallacei； of which I had taken the hitherto unique specimen in the Aru Islands。
The most interesting birds I obtained here； were the beautiful blue kingfisher； Todiramphus diops； the fine green and purple doves； Ptilonopus superbus and P。 iogaster； and several new birds of small size。 My shooters still brought me in specimens of the Semioptera Wallacei； and I was greatly excited by the positive statements of several of the native hunters that another species of this bird existed； much handsomer and more remarkable。 They declared that the plumage was glossy black； with metallic green breast as in my species； but that the white shoulder plumes were twice as long； and hung down far below the body of the bird。 They declared that when hunting pigs or deer far in the forest they occasionally saw this bird； but that it was rare。 I immediately offered twelve guilders （a pound） for a specimen； but all in vain； and I am to this day uncertain whether such a bird exists。 Since I left； the German naturalist； Dr。 Bernstein； stayed many months in the island with a large staff of hunters collecting for the Leyden Museum； and as he was not more successful than myself； we must consider either that the bird is very rare； or is altogether a myth。
Batchian is remarkable as being the most eastern point on the globe inhabited by any of the Quadrumana。 A large black baboon… monkey （Cynopithecus nigrescens） is abundant in some parts of the forest。 This animal has bare red callosities； and a rudimentary tail about an inch longa mere fleshy tubercle； which may be very easily overlooked。 It is the same species that is found all over the forests of Celebes； and as none of the other Mammalia of that island extend into Batchian I am inclined to suppose that this species has been accidentally introduced by the roaming Malays； who often carry about with them tame monkeys and other animals。 This is rendered more probable by the fact that the animal is not found in Gi