42 



LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



HELICONIUS MELPOMENE. 



Papilio mclpomene, Linn., Syst. Nat. (ed. x.), p. 467, no. 55 

 (175S); id., Mus. Ludov. Ulr., p. 232 (1764); Cramer, 

 Pap. Exot., ii., pi. 191, fig. C (1777). 



Heliconia mclpomene, Godart, Encycl. Meth., ix., p. 208, no. 15 

 (1S19). 



Heliconius mclpomene, Bates, Trans. Linn. Soc. Loud., xxiii., p. 

 557, no. 12 (1862); Godman and Salvin, Biol. Cenlrali- 

 Amer., Lepid. Rhop , i., p. 154 (1S81); Staud., Exot. 

 Schmett., i., p. 78, pi. 32 (1885). 



A black Butterfly, with a broad red bar across the fore- 

 wings. It is common in South and Central America as far 

 north as Nicaragua ; and there are a number of closely-allied 

 species. 



Heliconius is a rather large genus of handsome Butterflies, 

 which may easily be known by the characters of the Sub-family 

 given above, and by their comparatively large size, and long 

 slender antennae. The species of Eueides, Hiibn., the only other 

 genus, are much smaller, and have shorter antennas, more 

 distinctly clubbed. 



These Butterflies are always black or blue-black, with yellow, 

 white, red, and tawny markings. Some are very simply 

 coloured, as, for instance, H. mclpomene (Linn.), and its allies, 

 which are black, with a broad red band or blotch 0:1 the fore- 

 wings. In other species there may be a white or yellow band, 

 or even two or three on the fore-wings, perhaps with red or 

 yellow markings at the base, at least underneath ; and the hind- 

 wings may be banded with white, red, or yellow, or radiated 

 with red, blue, or green. We have figured two species, H. 

 era/o (Linn.; pi. viii., fig. 1), and H. vesta (Cram.; pi. viii., 

 fia 2) which exhibit these radiated markings. There is an in- 



