140 LEPIDOPTERA. 



at the brightest, resembling the colour of any Morplw. These 

 insects are exclusively confined to tropical America. 



One of the commonest species is Caligo Teucer, Linn. The 

 borders of the wings are broadly velvety black, and the base of 

 the fore wings is yellowish grey, shading into bluish on the hind 

 wings. The under surface of the hind wings is finely reticulated 

 with grey or brown, and marked with three eyes, the last of 

 which is very large and oval, black, and surrounded with a 

 moderately broad buflf ring. 



Another very handsome species of this family is Dynastor Napo- 

 leon, Doubl. and Hew. It is black, with an oblique white macular 

 band on the fore wings, and a broad tawny band on the hind 

 wings. It is found in South Brazil, and is considered a great rarity. 



Sub-Family V, — Acrceince. 



Discoidal cells of the wings closed ; wings long and narrow ; 

 palpi thick, not very hairy ; larvse spiny. 



The species of Acrcea are chiefly natives of Africa, only a few 

 being found in India, Australia, etc. Most of the species are red, 

 with black spots, and several are more or less transparent. Some 

 few, however, are brown, with black spots, and red or white 

 markings, or tawny with black markings. 



In the allied South American genus Actinote, the colours of the 

 species are more varied, but brown and fulvous generally predo- 

 minate. Black spots are wanting, but the hind wings are nearly 

 always longitudinally striated beneath. 



Sub-Family VI. — Helkoniince. 



Discoidal cells of the wings closed, those of hind wings small ; 

 wings long and narrow, costal nervure extending to the tip of 

 the fore wing ; head broad ; palpi thick, hairy ; larvse spiny. 



The HeliconincB are exclusively confined to tropical America, 

 and are very varied in pattern and coloration, although there is 

 no group in which a greater variety is obtained from simple 

 materials by the substitution of one colour for another in insects 

 otherwise similar. A very common and simply marked species is 

 Heliconius Melpomene, Linn., which is black, with a broad red band 

 across the fore wings. Another section of the genus resembles 

 Mechanitis, a genus of Danaince allied to Ithomia, in its markings. 

 Heliconius Encrate, Hiibn., is an instance of this. It is black and 

 tawny, with a large white spot near the tip of the fore wings. 



