n.jl. MR. 11. W. BATES ON THE HELICONIDE LEPIDOPTERA 



'A. The black central sti'i[)e ol" the hind wing runs from the middle of the alxlominal 

 edge lo the apex of the wing. 



I'. Tlie pah; suhniarginal spots of the upper surface arc wanting. 



It is curious that these points of difference between II. Nnmata and II. Si/hana are 

 almost precisely the same as those which distinguish Ilelbxca Ilneme from M. Egiiui. 

 I judge Irom this that a mimetic resemblance is intended between the Hcl/couii and 

 tlie JlcliiKC'ce — //. NuHKila and 31. 3Ineme, II. SylvaiKt and 31. Eguia, — the llcliconine 

 insecis lj(;ing adapt(>d to the Danaine species. If we tr;ice tlie species or races allied to 

 IL Nuniiitd over the whole of Tro])ical America, we sliall iiud tliat each one mimics a 

 Dana'ine species in its locality ; and I think it probal)le tliat they are all of the same stock 

 as //. Nidiiald. 'Ill us, in Eastern Brazil H. Ethra mimics 3Iech(ni'itis Nescea ; and in the 

 southern parts of the same country, II. Euej'((lr precisely imitates 3Iechanitis Lyslmnin. 

 1 liave already mentioned tlies(» and other cases occurring in New Granada, Nicaragua, 

 EastiM-n I'eru, and the Upper Amazons : the Hclicoiiii are adapted sometimes to a 3Ie- 

 (■li((iiiH.s, and sometimes to a 3/('l/i/(ra. 



II. XiiiiKitd varies iu struct lire as well as in colours. The wings are sometimes broader, 

 sometimes narrower ; and their edges are simple in some examples, and festooned in others. 

 The yellow crossbelt is sometimes blended with the ground-colour of the wing; in many 

 exani])les which connect the species with //. Etivoimi it is narrow, and in others very 

 liroad, as reju'csented in Cramer's ligure. 



'J'he ciMitral lilack strijie of the hind wing is often ^ery broad, covering i)art of the cell ; 

 at- other times it is very narrow, and passes much behind the cell. 



Tlie s])ecies is fo\ind abundantly throughout the Amazon region; it occurs in thinned 

 parts of the forest, wliere it is seen sjiorting about by twos and threes in the sunlight, or 

 lloatiiig lazily in the air. The following is a remarkable variety occurring only on th(> 

 npper Amazons. 



\ ar. //. I. SI t hell I III', fi. 



J V similar in sliapi; and in the position of the black markings to //. NmiKitd. Pale 

 orange-tawny; in tlie fore wiiit;' the two macular belts, which in Jl. Xnnidlit are distinct 

 and ol' a yellow t'dlour, are blended together and of the same ])al(> orange-tawny hue as 

 the rest of the wing; the nervures, at the point wliere the two bi'Us touch, are margined 

 witli blackish ; the apical part of the wing is black, as usual, and is crossed by a row of 

 i'niir pale sjiots. 



'I'wo examples occurred, one at .St. I'aulo, and one (much smaller) at Tunantins. 



J5. lliil.lGONirs I']! COMA, Jliibncr. 

 luiiidcn Iwicoiiui, niil)n(.T, Ziithijjjp, 1'. 5/7, .'>7S. 



This species dill'ers from J/. Niinialu in the yellow crossbelt of the fori' wing being 

 narrow and submacular, consist iin;' of four or five nuire or less distinct elongate spots, 

 and also by its bi-ing s(>parated from the cell by a series of black s])ots, more or less joined 

 together in tlu; form of an obli(|ue licit. It is, liowever, extremely variable. At St. 

 I'aulo and otliia- stations on the I'pper Amazons, many exam])les occurred of a very dark 



