30 Lloyd's natural history. 



Habits.— These Butterflies are weak flyers, chiefly frequent- 

 ing woods, and are abundant where they occur. Many of the 

 species, however, have a very restricted range. 



Characteristics.— The Ithomiiiicc are a protected group, and are 

 very closely mimicked by various Pierince. belonging to the 

 genus Dismorpliia, and by certain Moths of the families 

 Castniidw, Diopiidic, &c. The larger species, with opaque wings, 

 belonging to the genera Melanitis, Fabricius, Melncea, Hiib- 

 ner, &c, have frequently a close resemblance to tawny 

 Heliconiintz, 



No species of this Sub-family has tailed, or even dentated, 

 wings, and a great number are among the most transparent 

 Butterflies known. They differ considerably in arrangement 

 of markings and pattern; but their range of coloration 

 hardly extends beyond various shades of black, white, tawny 

 and yellow. 



We have figured two representatives of the typical genus 

 Ithomia, both with transparent wings, to illustrate this rather 

 numerous group ; but there is so much sameness throughout 

 this Sub-family that we have not thought it necessary to deal 

 with the principal genera in detail 



GENUS ITIIOMIA. 



Ithomia, Hiibner,Verz. bek. Schmett., p. 9 (1816); Doubl., Gen. 

 Diurn. Lepid., p. 26 (1847); Bates, Journ. Linn. Soc. 

 Lond., xxiii., p. 537 (1862); Godman and Salvin, Biol. 

 Centrali-Americana, Lepid. Rhop., i., p. 48 (1879). 



As this is the typical genus of this Tropical American group, 

 it is better to employ it as a family or sub-family name than to 

 use Schatz's term, JVeotropidce. The species were formerly 

 classed with the Heliconiiihr, and of late years with the 

 Danaince, 



