NOTES ON THE BUTTERFLIES


that it is harmless to you. This is a very wise
and useful rule to observe, for in the forest there
are many traps for the unwary.
 So it will be seen that although the collecting
of butterflies in the forests of the tropics is a
delightful occupation, yet it is not free from danger,
and it behoves us to be careful and not to incur
unnecessary risks, but to observe the precautions
which have been found indispensable for safety
and health.
 I will repeat the principal annoyances, discom-
forts and dangers, trusting that they will prove
to be, not a deterrent to the enthusiastic collector,
but rather that, being aware of them, he may take
the necessary steps to lessen and overcome them
as far as he is able to do so.
 Heat.-Not only from the direct rays of the sun
but also in the shade of the forest, for here,
although there is no sun neither is there any
breeze, and the atmosphere is stifling. Runnels
of sweat course down the face and the clothing
becomes saturated with moisture of perspiration.
Yet it is exactly in such an environment that the
best insects are to be found.
 Mosquitoes.-These very troublesome pests are
always with you. It is seldom that you are not
followed by a swarm of them that settle on the
exposed parts of the body and bite furiously.
They also have the habit of getting into your eyes,