HELICONIA I. 



Miillei", in a paper on Brazilian butterflies, to be cliaracteristic of the genus Heli- 

 conia. Several butterflies came forth in my room, and one of them was set free 

 in the garflen, placed gently on a tlower of passion-vine. It rested some moments 

 with wings f idly opened and depressed a little below the horizontal, and then rose 

 verticallv some ten feet, circled two or three times, flew slowly towards the 

 woods, and was seen no more. I had a similar experience in 1881 with two 

 others, both rising high and making for the nearest woods. 



Dr. Wittfeld reports that these butterflies frequent paths in the forest, or are 

 found feeding at a little distance from the forest, to which they at once betake 

 themselves if alarmed, and then fly rapidly, though usually their flight is heavy. 

 Also, that tliey have the habit of gathering in flocks toward night, and roost, 

 always with heads up, to the nmnber of perhaps fifty or more, on Spanish moss, 

 or on dry twigs of trees, especially such as have dead leaves still hanging to 

 them. In the morning, after the sun is well up, they come trooping forth in 

 search of flowers. 



Tills habit was observed by Philip Henry Grosse, Esq., as is stated in a note in 

 Doubleday's Gene)'a, I., p. 97, and as this work is nearly inaccessible in this coun- 

 try, I repeat Mr. Gosse's remarks : '■ Passing along a rocky foot-path on a steep 

 wooded mountain side, in tlie Parish of St. Elizabeth (Jamaica), about the end of 

 August, 1845, my attention was attracted, just Ijefore sunset, by a swarm of these 

 butterflies in a sort of rocky recess, overhung by trees and creepers. They were 

 about twenty in number, and were dancing to aud fro, exactly in the manner of 

 gnats, or as Hepioli play at the side of a wood. After watching them awhile, I 

 noticed that some of them were restino; with closed wini>;s at the extremities of 

 one or two depending vines. One after another fluttered from the group of 

 dancers to the reposing squadron, and alighted close to the others, so that at 

 length, when only about two or three of the fliers were left, the rest were col- 

 lected in groups of half a dozen each, so close together that each group might 

 have been grasped in the hand. When once one iiad alighted, it did not in gen- 

 eral fly again, but a new-comer, fluttering at tlie group, seeking to find a place, 

 sometimes disturbed one recently settled, when the wings were thrown open, and 

 one or two flew up again. As there were no leaves on the hanging stalks, the 

 appearance presented by the.se beautiful butterflies, so crowded together, their 

 long, erect wings pointing in dift"erent directions, was not a little cinious. I was 

 told by persons residing near, that every evening they thus assembled, and that 

 I had not seen a third part of the numbers often collected in that spot." 



Mr. Wallace says of the Heliconidtxj in general : " They all rest with their 

 wings erect upon leaves and flowers, and at night 1 have observed them a.sleep, 

 hansrino: at the extreme end of a slender twiiz;, which bends beneath their weiiiht 

 and swiuiis o-entlv with the evening: breeze." 



