1881. j 85 



with a few conspicuous exceptions, partake of the general temperate aspect of the 

 vegetation. Beetles are singularly scarce : I do not think I have found twenty species 

 in all, and have been obliged to concentrate my attention on the Lepidoptera. A 

 Tetracha, a Scarites, one or two Heteromera and a Pentodon, all scarce, except the 

 first-mentioned, are the only conspicuous Coleoptera. In butterflies, I have as yet 

 obtained 39 species, whereof no less than 17 are Hesperidce, nine of these belonging 

 to the genus Pamphila, three to Pyrgus, one Ni.soniades, two Eudamus — very large, 

 brown, tailed insects ; the other two are also conspicuous " skippers," one measuring 

 nearly two inches across, of a soft ochreous-brown hue, with darker fascia?. There 

 are eight Theclce — some very pretty, but none as large as our T. quercus, and some 

 very minute — a magnificent lolaus, of a vivid blue colour above, widely bordered 

 with black, the hind-wings with two tails. This beautiful insect, the $ of which is 

 two inches across, is very common, and most conspicuous. The two species of 

 Polyommatus respectively remind one of the European Telicanus and JEgon. The 

 two fritillaries, Agraulis moneta ? and vanilla, most brilliantly spangled with silver 

 beneath, are very conspicuous, and the latter is most abundant : the spiny larvse of 

 both species are to be found on " Passion-flower." Pyrameis Carye, and a pretty 

 red and brown ocellated Junonia (J. Lavinia) are both common, and I have reared 

 a good series of the latter from spiny black larva? feeding on that cosmopolitan 

 plant, Verbena officinalis. The delicately-coloured white and grey Anartia jatroplia 

 abounds in damp places, but I have as yet been unable to find out anything about 

 its earlier stages. The tropical American genus Heliconius is represented by a very 

 beautiful black and yellow species, which abounds in shady places ; an ochreous and 

 black Acraea ? is locally common, and its pale brown spiny larva, gregarious when 

 young, is to be found in plenty on a shrub of the Order Composite. The large and 

 showy Danais Archippus is very plentiful, and its handsome larva, ringed with yellow, 

 white, and black, feeds on the troublesome but pretty weed, Asclepias curassavica : 

 the pupa is a very pretty object, short and stout in build, of a delicate pale green, 

 with a few small spots on the thoracic portion, brilliantly gilded ; there is a trans- 

 verse golden line, edged with black, on the abdomen. Callidryas is represented by 

 two species, one, the common sulphur-yellow Coquimbo species, C. Statira ?, the 

 other is a very handsome insect, the $ being of a vivid orange colour, the ? varying 

 from deep orange to greenish-white, and having a marginal series of small black 

 spots. I have reared it from a long, bright green, shagreened larva, not unlike that 

 of our " Brimstone " butterfly, feeding on a large Leguminous tree, the " Paqui " 

 (I think this is the well-known West-Indian Locust tree, Hymencea Courbaril : it 

 produces immense flat legumes, containing many large beans surrounded with a 

 sweetish white pulp, which is eaten and very much liked about here). Two species 

 of Pieris, one of which, the common Callao butterfly, is remarkable for the constant 

 colouring of the J (chalk-white, with a black tip to fore-wings), and the extreme 

 variability of the ? , which is sometimes almost like the opposite sex, and sometimes 

 almost entirely greyish-black, intermediates of all shades being found ; and a little 

 yellow Terias, as yet unique to me, complete the list of Callao butterflies. 



I have lately taken two very fine species of Sphingidce in a gentleman's garden, 

 at flowers at dusk : one is a magnificent fellow, 4£ inches in expanse, of a beautiful 

 soft rich green colour, the hind-wings varied with violet, yellow, green, and rust- 

 red ; the other is not unlike a small S. convolvuli, but it has the hind-wings rusty- 



