Ornithoptery

One of the interesting things about being in a strange land, is the strangeness of flora and fauna. Would that I had the lepidoptery experience of Nabokov. The butterflies here are magnificent. They have colors that we don't have words for, and sizes that range from tiny to nearly bird-like. That description also goes with the general description of the other insect life which abounds here, and sometimes scares the religion out of you. And the birds. They are magnificent. Colors and sizes that range from very small to very large. The bird calls are very strange to a westerners ear. I am often wondering if a sound is coming from a bird, a band of monkeys, a lost elephant, or the local ice cream man. Thus, my ornithology is a bit lacking, and Sir Audobon is nowhere near to help. I have thought about learning both about butterflies and birds. I would call myself an Ornithopterist. My friend, Frank Herbert, would understand.