he　prolific　banks　of　the　Amazon；　and　among　them　were　many　most　rare　and　beautiful　insects；　hitherto　only　known　by　a　few　specimens　from　New　Guinea。　The　large　and　handsome　spectre　butterfly；　Hestia　durvillei；　the　pale…winged　peacock　butterfly；　Drusilla　catops；　and　the　most　brilliant　and　wonderful　of　the　clear…winged　moths；　Cocytia　durvillei；　were　especially　interesting；　as　well；　as　several　little　〃blues；〃　equalling　in　brilliancy　and　beauty　anything　the　butterfly　world　can　produce。　In　the　other　groups　of　insects　I　was　not　so　successful；　but　this　was　not　to　be　wondered　at　in　a　mere　exploring　ramble；　when　only　what　is　most　conspicuous　and　novel　attracts　the　attention。　Several　pretty　beetles；　a　superb　〃bug；〃　and　a　few　nice　land…　shells　were　obtained；　and　I　returned　in　the　afternoon　well　satisfied　with　my　first　trial　of　the　promised　land。
  The　next　two　days　were　so　wet　and　windy　that　there　was　no　going　out；　but　on　the　succeeding　one　the　sun　shone　brightly；　and　I　had　the　good　fortune　to　capture　one　of　the　most　magnificent　insects　the　world　contains；　the　great　bird…winged　butterfly；　Ornithoptera　Poseidon。　I　trembled　with　excitement　as　I　saw　it　coming　majestically　towards　me；　and　could　hardly　believe　I　had　really　succeeded　in　my　stroke　till　I　had　taken　it　out　of　the　net　and　was　gazing；　lost　in　admiration；　at　the　velvet　black　and　brilliant　green　of　its　wings；　seven　inches　across；　its　bolder　body；　and　crimson　breast。　It　is　true　I　had　seen　similar　insects　in　cabinets　at　home；　but　it　is　quite　another　thing　to　capture　such　oneself…to　feel　it　struggling　between　one's　fingers；　and　to　gaze　upon　its　fresh　and　living　beauty；　a　bright　gem　shirring　out　amid　the　silent　gloom　of　a　dark　and　tangled　forest。　The　village　of　Dobbo　held　that　evening　at　least　one　contented　man。
  Jan。　26th。Having　now　been　here　a　fortnight；　I　began　to　understand　a　little　of　the　place　and　its　peculiarities。　Praus　continually　arrived；　and　the　merchant　population　increased　almost　daily。　Every　two　or　three　days　a　fresh　house　was　opened；　and　the　necessary　repairs　made。　In　every　direction　men　were　bringing　in　poles；　bamboos；　rattans；　and　the　leaves　of　the　nipa　palm　to　construct　or　repair　the　walls；　thatch；　doors；　and　shutters　of　their　houses；　which　they　do　with　great　celerity。　Some　of　the　arrivals　were　Macassar　men　or　Bugis；　but　more　from　the　small　island　of　Goram；　at　the　east　end　of　Ceram；　whose　inhabitants　are　the　petty　traders　of　the　far　East。　Then　the　natives　of　Aru　come　in　from　the　other　side　of　the　islands　（called　here　〃blakang　tana；〃　or　〃back　of　the　country〃）　with　the　produce　they　have　collected　during　the　preceding　six　months；　and　which　they　now　sell　to　the　traders；　to　some　of　whom　they　are　most　likely　in　debt。
  Almost　all；　or　I　may　safely　say　all；　the　new　arrivals　pay　me　a　visit；　to　see　with　their　own　eyes　the　unheard…of　phenomenon　of　a　person　come　to　stay　at　Dobbo　who　does　not　trade！　They　have　their　own　ideas　of　the　uses　that　may　possibly　be　made　of　stuffed　birds；　beetles；　and　shells　which　are　not　the　right　shellsthat　is；　〃mother…of…pearl。〃　They　every　day　bring　me　dead　and　broken　shells；　such　as　l　can　pick　up　by　hundreds　on　the　beach；　and　seem　quite　puzzled　and　distressed　when　I　decline　them。　If；　however；　there　are　any　snail　shells　among　a　lot；　I　take　them；　and　ask　for　morea　principle　of　selection　so　utterly　unintelligible　to　them；　that　they　give　it　up　in　despair；　or　solve　the　problem　by　imputing　hidden　medical　virtue　to　those　which　they　see　me　preserve　so　carefully。
  These　traders　are　all　of　the　Malay　race；　or　a　mixture　of　which　Malay　is　the　chef　ingredient；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　Chinese。　The　natives　of　Aru；　on　the　other　hand；　are；　Papuans；　with　black　or　sooty　brown　skims；　woolly　or　frizzly　hair；　thick…　ridged　prominent　noses；　and　rather　slender　limbs。　Most　of　them　wear　nothing　but　a　waist…cloth；　and　a　few　of　them　may　be　seen　all　day　long　wandering　about　the　half…deserted　streets　of　Dobbo　offering　their　little　bit　of　merchandise　for　sale。
  Living　in　a　trader's　house　everything　is　brought　to　me　as　well　as　to　the　rest；bundles　of　smoked　tripang；　or　〃beche　de　mer；〃　looking　like　sausages　which　have　been　rolled　in　mud　and　then　thrown　up　the　chimney；　dried　sharks'　fins；　mother…of…pearl　shells；　as　well　as　birds　of　Paradise；　which；　however；　are　so　dirty　and　so　badly　preserved　that　I　have　as　yet　found　no　specimens　worth　purchasing。　When　I　hardly　look　at　the　articles；　and　make　no　offer　for　them；　they　seem　incredulous；　and；　as　if　fearing　they　have　misunderstood　me；　again　offer　them；　and　declare　what　they　want　in　returnknives；　or　tobacco；　or　sago；　or　handkerchiefs。　I　then　have　to　endeavour　to　explain；　through　any　interpreter　who　may　be　at　hand；　that　neither　tripang　nor　pearl　oyster　shells　have　any　charms　for　me；　and　that　I　even　decline　to　speculate　in　tortoiseshell；　but　that　anything　eatable　I　will　buy…　…fish；　or　turtle；　or　vegetables　of　any　sort。　Almost　the　only　food；　however；　that　we　can　obtain　with　any　regularity；　are　fish　and　cockles　of　very　good　quality；　and　to　supply　our　daily　wants　it　is　absolutely　necessary　to　be　always　provided　with　four　articlestobacco；　knives；　sago…cakes；　and　Dutch　copper　doits　because　when　the　particular　thing　asked　for　is　not　forthcoming；　the　fish　pass　on　to　the　next　house；　and　we　may　go　that　day　without　a　dinner。　It　is　curious　to　see　the　baskets　and　buckets　used　here。　The　cockles　are　brought　in　large　volute　shells；　probably　the　Cymbium　ducale；　while　gigantic　helmet…shells；　a　species　of　Cassis；　suspended　by　a　rattan　handle；　form　the　vessels　in　which　fresh　water　is　daily　carried　past　my　door。　It　is　painful　to　a　naturalist　to　see　these　splendid　shells　with　their　inner　whorls　ruthlessly　broken　away　to　fit　them　for　their　ignoble　use。
  My　collections；　however；　got　on　but　slowly；　owing　to　the　unexpectedly　bad　weather；　violent　winds　with　heavy　showers　having　been　so　continuous　as　only　to　give　me　four　good　collecting　days　out　of　the　first　sixteen　I　spent　here。　Yet　enough　had　been　collected　to　show　me　that　with　time　and　fine　weather　I　might　expect　to　do　something　good。　From　the　natives　I　obtained　some　very　fine　insects　and　a　few　pretty　land…shells；　and　of　the　small　number　of　birds　yet　shot　more　than　half　were　known　New　Guinea　species；　and　therefore　certainly　rare　in　European　collections；　while　the　remainder　were　probably　new。　In　one　respect　my　hopes　seemed　doomed　to　be　disappointed。　I　had　anticipated　the　pleasure　of　myself　preparing　fine　specimens　of　the　Birds　of　Paradise；　but　I　now　learnt　that　they　are　all　at　this　season　out　of　plumage；　and　that　it　is　in　September　and　October　that　they　have　the　long　plumes　of　yellow　silky　feathers　in　full　perfection。　As　all　the　praus　return　in　July；　I　should　not　be　able　to　spend　that　season　in　Aru　without　remaining　another　whole　year；　which　was　out　of　the　question。　I　was　informed；　however；　that　the　small　red　species；　the　〃King　Bird　of　Paradise；〃　retains　its　plumage　at　all　seasons；　and　this　I　might　therefore　hope　to　get。
  As　I　became　familiar　with　the　forest　scenery　of　the　island；　（perceived　it　to　possess　some　characteristic　features　that　distinguished　it　from　that　of　Borneo　and　Malacca；　while；　what　is　very　singular　and　interesting；　it　recalled　to　my　mind　the　half…　forgotten　impressions　of　the　forests　of　Equatorial　America。　For　example；　the　palms　were　much　more　abundant　than　I　had　generally　found　them　in　the　East；　more　generally　mingled　with　the　other　vegetation；　more　varied　in　form　and　aspect；　and　presenting　some　of　those　lofty　and　majestic　smooth…stemmed；　pinnate…leaved　species　which　recall　the　Uauassu　（Attalea　speciosa）　of　the　Amazon；　but　which　I　had　hitherto　rarely　met　with　in　the　Malayan　islands。
  In　animal　life　the　immense　number　and　variety　of　spiders　and　of　lizards　were　circumstances　that　recalled　the　prolific　regions　of　south　America；　more　especially　the　abundance　and　varied　colours　of　the　little　jumping　spiders　which　abound　on　flowers　and　foliage；　and　are　often　perfect　gems　of　beauty。　The　web…spinning　species　were　also　more　numerous　than　I　had　ever　seen　them；　and　were　a　great　annoyance；　stretching　their　nets　across　the　footpaths　just　about　the　height　of　my　face；　and　the　threads　composing　these　are　so　strong　and　glutinous　as　to　require　much　trouble　to　free　oneself　from　them。　Then　their　inhabitants；　great　yellow…spotted　monsters　with　bodies　two　inches　long；　and　legs　in　proportion；　are　not　pleasant　to　o　run　one's　nose　against　while　pursuing　some　gorgeous　butterfly；　or　gazing　aloft　in　search　of　some　strange…voiced　bird。　I　soon　found　it　necessary　not　only　to　brush　away　the　web；　but　also　to　destroy　the　spinner；　for　at　first；　having　cleared　the　path　one　day；　I　found　the　next　morning　that　the　industrious　insects　had　spread　their　nets　again　in　the　very　same　places。
  The　lizards　were　equally　striking　by　their　numbers；　variety；　and　the　situations　in　which　they　were　found。　The　beautiful　blue…　tailed　species　so　abundant　in　Ke　was　not　seen　here。　The　Aru　lizards　are　more　varied　but　more　sombre　in　their　coloursshades　of　green；　grey；　brown；　and　even　black；　being　very　frequently　seen。　Every　shrub　and　herbaceous　plant　was　alive　with　them；　every　rotten　trunk　or　dead　branch　served　as　a　station　for　some　of　these　active　little　insect…hunters；　who；　I　fear；　to　satisfy　their　gross　appetites；　destroy　many　gems　of　the　insect　world；　whi