24 [.hmc. 1832. 



and a small Buierpe ?, not unlike, in miniature, a lovelj Pieris DapH.dice in marking 

 on the upj)er-side. It was not uncommon, but very active, having much of the flight 

 and habits of a skipper : and owing to the rugged nature of the ground, and the 

 difficulty of active csei'tion at that elevation, I had much difficulty in securing half- 

 a-dozen examples. On the way up, I managed to snatch a few minut*es' collecting at 

 San Bartolome (4950 feet) and Matucana (7790 feet) : at the first place I took a nice 

 Sati/rns, and at the latter, a beautiful species of Pieris, and a Colias, which I have 

 reason to believe is the rare C. Hermina, Butler. Chicla would, I think, amply repay 

 any entomologist who could stay there for a few days ; I hope to re-visit this locality 

 before I finally leave the Pacific station. 



I had become very tired of Callao and its surroundings, and was glad enough 

 when the order finally came for the " Kingfisher " to proceed northwards. We 

 sailed along a miserably barren and surf-beaten coast, calling at one or two small 

 ports, where landing was impossible in the ship's boats, being only practicable in large 

 launches, or in "balsas." These are rude rafts made of logs of a peculiarly light 

 and porous wood (which, by the way, makes capital setting boards) : they look very 

 clumsy and unwieldy, but are managed by the natives with great dexterity, and are 

 in general use all along the coast. On September, we arrived at Payta, and stayed 

 there until the 24th. This place has the advantage of a good and safe harbour, . 

 teeming with fish : an " Eagle Ray," weighing at least 300 lbs., was caught in the 

 seine, and, despite its somewhat repulsive appearance, was eaten by the ever-hungry 

 Bailors. The town is a most wretched little place, and the country for miles round 

 is a waste of naked rock and yellow sand, a few stunted Mimosas and other shrubs, 

 bearing about as many leaves as an average birch -broom, just redeeming it from 

 utter sterility. A few miles inland, the country appears to improve a little, but I 

 had no opportunity of going far from the town. I got a few of the common Callao 

 beetles here, and the only moth I took was, to my surprise, a fine and well-marked 

 specimen of Agrotis sauda. Another Agrotis, which I cannot distinguish from 

 A. ohelisca, was caught on board the ship off Huanchacho, a short distance to the 

 southward of Payta. 



On the 25th, we entered the Guayaquil River, and anchored for the night at 

 Puno, 40 miles below the port of Guayaquil, whither we proceeded the next morning. 

 The river-banks, all the way up (except near Puno, where there ai'e some low hills), 

 are of a very flat and swampy character, covered with a most dense and luxuriant 

 forest, the trees in many places being really gigantic. The aspect of the forest is, 

 however, somewhat monotonous, the trees presenting but little variety, and scarcely 

 a flower of any sort to be seen ; but after the wretched Peruvian coast, the sight of 

 such a glorious extent of green foliage was indeed refreshing to the eye. 



Guayaquil is a busy and thriving-looking town, much superior in appearance to 

 Callao : the environs are for the most part swampy and level, intersected with nar- 

 row ditches and creeks, the banks of which swarm with land-crabs. At the back of 

 the town are a few hills of moderate height, covered with thorny brushwood. 

 During the four days we stayed here, I added about 30 species of butterflies to 

 my collection : none of them were wry large or showy, perhaps the handsomest 

 being the striking, though common, black and crimson Anartia Amalthea. A species 

 of Ageronia was fairly plentiful on tree-trunks, but was very difficult to secure; and 

 I may also mention some pretty species of Thccla (one almost entirely bluish-while 



