OF THE AMAZON VAMJ'.Y. 529 



transparont wiiii^s. Those lattrr may rclain as sectional distinct ion tlic name Oler'tfi, as 

 proposed l)y lli'ibncM". 



Section 1. Olcrkt, lliil)ner. 

 Hiibncr, Verzciclniiss bckannter Schmelterlingc, ]). 9. 



1. MkCUAMTIS (OlKUIA) TIIKAIMIIA, 11. sp. 



Very similar in size, shape, and ij'enei'al appearance to 3It'cli(iiiitts or Uhinn'm rlliica 

 (Iknvits. Exot. iiutt. llhomhi, liii'. 110). 



d$. Expanse 1" 2"'-l" S'". Willis pale sulpluir-w hite. scmilransparcnt. Fore w iiii,^ 

 with a Avide liorder, and a hroad ohlicpie liaiul extending' from the eosta across the end 

 of the cell to the outer margin near the hind angle, hlaek ; a suhmarginal row of round 

 white spots in the outer lihick border, not reaching the hind angle. 15encatli, the same. 



Hind wing with a l)lack border, narrow on the eosta, and hroad along the outer 

 mai'gin.the latter liavinga sul)marginal row of roumU'd white spots. Beneath, the same. 



Body and antennre hhick. ileiid and thorax witli some wliilisii markings. 



Found on the ])anks of the Ciipari, a branch of the Tapajos, and also at St. I'aulo, on the 

 Up])er Amazons. At St. Paulo the individuals were hivger and more vividly colonred 

 than on the liorders of the Cnpari. 



Section 2. Media iiif'iii |)ro|)er. 



2. .MixiiAMTis Poi.YMXiA (Liiiii.), CraiiKM', Tap. K.xol. t. 11)1. f. !■]. 



This species, like many oth<'rs of the llcliconida', is subject to nnnarkable local 

 Aariation. The varieties, taken in connexion with tluMr geographical distribution, 

 are a most interesting study. Tin; species is extremely abnndant wherever it is found, 

 and the dill'erent varieties are co|)iiinsly repr(>sented in collections. It is slow in 

 flight, and inhabits thinned parts of the forest, or negleeted and shady plantations near 

 settlements. The caterpillar (ligiired in Sepp, Papill. de Snriiiam, ])l. 2.) has a smooth 

 integument. The head is round, and the body has a row of small ])ointed tubercles on 

 each side. It is grey, with black s|)o1s, and ringed with yellow. it feeds on Soldnnm 

 nciilcdfitiNuuioii, and is gregarious. The chrysalis is smooth. 



The ty])ical form of the ])erfeet iiis(>et, as figured by Cramer, prevails at I'ara and 

 throughout the Lower Amazon region. All the examples collected at I he diU'erent 

 stations in those ])arts resemble each other pretty closely in colours and markings. .Vt 

 Ega, on the I'jjper Amazons, the species is very unstable; very hnv individuals were 

 found conformable to the Cramerian type: it t here vari("s, not only in general colour 

 and pattern, but also very considerably in the shape of the wiin;s. es])eeially in the male 

 sex. One variety seems, however, to predominat(\ to which 1 give the name of M. 

 Efjo'ensis: L frccpu-ntly found pairs oi' it in copuhi, iuu\ never observed it t(j mate with 

 other varieties, from which I was inclined to conclude that the individuals preferred lo 

 pair with their (>xaet counterparts, and iherei'ore that the variety was in process of 

 segregation fnnn the type. All the intermediate forms between the tyjiical .1!. Pul>/iniiia 

 and J/. Egaciisis occurred at Ega, but in fewer numbers. At St. I'aulo, 2(!() miles 



!■ 1! 2 



