70 [Mavob, 



The Observatory commands a grand prospect, but the path leading 

 to it was far from productive, yielding only Phyciodes anieta, Hew. ; 

 Synchloe lacinia, Hiibn., the dark form ; Leptotes (Tarucus) cassius, 

 Cram , both sexes ; Terias elathea, Cram., a male, an aberration of the 

 " moderately dry " form in which there was no trace of the usually 

 conspicuous longitudinal black streak, and scarcely any of the orange 

 border thereto ; also Hesperia notata, Blanch., the only example met 

 with. 



The village of El Vallk stands at about the same level as 

 Caracas, some four miles to the south, and as it is conveniently placed 

 at the terminus of a tramway I visited it three times, but my first visit 

 was spoilt by heavy rain A bluff on the outskirts of the village 

 displayed sufficient flowers to attract a fair number of insects, the 

 best of which was the large Skipper, Prenes evadnes, Cram., the only 

 one that T met with, but a lane leading from the village southwards to 

 a ford proved a better collecting ground. This lane, bounded on 

 either side by a wet ditch and a flowery hedge, had an English look 

 that was delightfully refreshing. Here were a number of the com- 

 moner Butterflies, conspicuous among them the " Brimstone," Galli- 

 dryas eubule, Linn. (f. senncs, L.), of both sexes ; Anosia arcliippus, 

 Fabr. ; Actinofe antceas, Dbl. and H. ; the beautiful yellow and black 

 Heliconius charithonia, Linn. ; the brilliant red, black and white 

 Anartia amalthea, Linn., flying as usual close to the water, but 

 unfortunately in poor condition ; the dingy Satyrine, Euptychia 

 hermes, Fabr. (camerta, Cram.), together with its more attractive 

 Avhite-striped congener, E. hesione, Sulz. ; there were also several 

 males of the " Common White" of those parts, Leptophobia aripa, 

 Boisd., and a male of the common Terios albula, Cram., a white 

 member of a yellow genus. But besides these familiar forms there 

 were several of greater interest, at all events to one new to South 

 America. The small Nymphalines, Phyciodes lelex, Bates, and 

 P. liriope, Cram. ; a female of Terias wise, Cram. ; two male Spfueno- 

 yona arbela, Hiibn., of an unusually pale form ; a female of the fine 

 Daptonoura lycimnia, Cram. ; a specimen of the large Ithomiiue, 

 Mechanitis veritabilis, Butl. ; the black and white Lycannd, Polyniphe 

 dumenilii, Codt., and the Skipper, Qhiomara yesta, H.-S. But there 

 were in addition several Butterflies in that narrow lane which I did 

 not meet with elsewhere in Venezuela, conspicuous among them, on 

 the flowers of Lantana camera, Linn, was a specimen of the long- 

 winged, richly silver-plated Dione juno, Cram., strikingly resembling 

 Colcenis juJia, Fabr , as regards its upper surface, but with an under- 



