226 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



Melitaeae of the Amazons are very small and plainly marked ; indeed they cannot be 

 compared for size and beauty of form and markings with onr English athalia or cinxia, 

 and, like these northern species, they frequent Aveedy and flowery places on the 

 borders of woods, flying low, and having somewhat of the floating motion in their flight : 

 milike the insects of the Vanessa group, one only of which (Jnnonia lavinia) is found 

 in the Amazons region; for these are irregular in the motions of their wings, and 

 settle frequently. Euptoieta hegesia, the only butterfly of the Amazons region that 

 has a near resemblance to the Argynnes of Europe, inhabits the undulating meadow- 

 districts of the country which lie near the middle part of the lower course of the 

 river, and is never seen in the true forest-districts. This species, which is about the 

 size of Argynnis lathonia, flies about the lower herbage and flowering bushes in the 

 same way as our British Argynnes. There are two other Amazonian genera, Anartia 

 and Libythina, which accompany the Argynnitae and Vauessitae in their grassy 

 haunts ; but these generally prefer the marshy meadoAvs on the banks of rivers. 



The rest of the Amazonian Nymphalinae are denizens of the great forest, and nearly 

 all of the genera, as before remarked, are peculiar to tropical America; being creatures 

 of the humid and luxuriant sylvan domain which spreads over all the river-valleys, 

 and extends in most parts of the region far up the slopes of the mountains, skirting 

 everywhere the margins of rivulets and torrents. One only of these genera is found in 

 Europe, namely, Apatura, two species of which, inferior to our purple Emperor in size 

 and beauty, inhabit the banks of the Amazons. If we except the genus Eresia, the species 

 of which are no other than Melitaeae, with Avings lengthened after the manner of their 

 inseparable companions, the Heliconii, and Avhich hover about Ioav shrul)s in the shade 

 of the forest, the remainder of the Nymphalinae, exclusive of the Morphitae, may be 

 classed, as respects their habits, into flve groups. The first comprises a series of 

 genera and species Avhich resemble our Apatura iris in manners and style of flight. 

 These live in the crowns of the forest-trees, and descend only to the ground in sunny 

 places to suck the moisture from mud, moist sand, or ordure on the forest-pathways, 

 or the margins of pools and streams. But it is the males almost exclusively that have 

 this latter habit, the females remaining in the forest, Avhere their mates join them, 

 after their summer day's separation, in the afternoons Avhen the sun is getting Ioav. 

 The males in very many of these species are much more brightly coloured than the 

 females, and appear to be much more numerous. In some places, during the fine 

 season (August to October) , they assemble by hundreds, sometimes thirty or forty 

 species together, of the most varied shapes and colours, to sport about in muddy 

 places exposed to the morning sun. Catagrammae and Callitheae, with liveries of vel- 

 vety crimson and black, or sapphire and orange; Eunicae, with purple hues glancing in 

 the sunlight as they fly ; swalloAV-tailed Timetes of many species ; silky-green Eubages ; 

 blue, white, and black Megistanes, tailed like the Charaxes jasius of Europe, and many 

 other kinds less conspicuous in colour and form, are all seen together, either settled on 

 the ground or swiftly flying to and fro above it. If the day becomes cloudy or windy, 

 the sensitive creatures gradually betake themselves to the shelter of the neighbouring 

 forest. Warm, calm, gleamy weather seems the most favourable to their appearance 

 in the open places, a few females sometimes venturing from the forest at these times 

 to join the company. 



The second group is formed by such species as, having similar habits to those of the 

 first group, never, or very seldom, leave the forest. Most of the richly coloured Epi- 

 caliae belong to this category, and also the Temeues and others. These have, like 

 many of the preceding, a rapid and irregular flight, the males settling for a few 

 moments at a time on foliage Avhere a ray of sunlight pierces the shades. The third 

 group consists of species allied to theLimeuites of Europe, such as the Heterochroae, 

 many kinds of Eubagis, the Pyrrhogyrae, and others, all of which fly about the lower 

 trees in thinned parts of the forest, and have a floating, partly horizontal, and wheel- 

 ing flight. If they are disturbed when settled on a leaf near the ground, they 

 wheel round in flying off and settle on a higher place, and so on, until they are out of 

 reach. The fourth group, also shade-lovers, are such as settle only on the trunks of 



