is I'AMii.v ^^^ll'llAl,ll).l■:. 



J. Tdniieds AciiiiiKi, .s/>. i/ur.,Ji(/. o. 



i X\m sLipiu I'luscil' ; pusUcLu slria \ nkle iiulist iiicla antLMiuiryiiiali palli- 

 (Uoic : corpus fiiscum. 



Ala- suhtiis vclul in specie pneeedente area auleiii apieaii anuiistiore, 

 laseiaque postinodia lilaciuu-squamosa et areis (liscalil)us ohseiirioriljiis ; c-orpiis 

 pallide fiiseum : exp. alar. unc. 3, lin. '1. 



Cayenne. (Deyrollc.) 6, Coll. Sal\ in. 



T. A'lii'iii'i ami T. C/rupalni arc sci iiiiuli alikr upon tliu under surface, that, but for the; lutally 

 ilitt'erc'Ut form of their wings, one would ahuost hesitate to consider them distinct species. Tlie 

 distinctions between 7'. A'</i>i)i<( and T. Zippara are much more apparent, although these two species 

 inhabit the same district. In the latter case, however, the ditt'erences of colour are chieHj- contineil 

 to the upper surface of the wing, so that we may, 1 think, safely conclude that for some reason or 

 other the retention of the under surface coloration is 'of importance to this little group of species. 1 

 have no doubt that, when the economy of tropical butterflies is better known, we shall discover 

 dis"uises in very many more of the butterfly patterns than, in oni jiresent state of ignorance, we could 

 conceive possible. With regaril to the parallel resemblances in the ditterent genera of the Hdiconinw 

 two ideas have occurred to me, which, though they may be but " chiklish guesses," I think there can 

 be no harm in stating. First, it is within the range of possibility that these butterflies were originally 

 modified to resemble certain flowers, and the latter subsequently becoming e.xtinct, necessitated the 

 development of a new protective agency — namely, the acrid fluid with which the Heliconinm are now 

 provided. In the second place it may be that only one genus originally possessed the protective fluid, 

 and was the model upon which the other genera were formed, but since the latter were then |n-eserved 

 by their colours only, individuals must occasionally have been destroyed ; and, to the e.\teiit of that 

 destruction, there was a necessity for additional protection : thus a physical as well as merely external 

 resemblance may have been tiie ultimate consecjuence. Two notes by Jlr. Swainson in his " Illustra- 

 tions" somewhat confirm me in this view, inasmuch as he shows that certain Heliconoid moths have 

 acciuired all the defences Kininion to liie buttei flies which th(?y re-semblc. He .says, — " In their slow 

 rti"ht. Ion" transparent wings, ami jironeness to imitate death on being handled, they otter a most 

 beautiful analogy to the Heliconian butterflies." ■' They fly slowly and heavily during the middle of 

 the day, and, on the least toueli, enunlcMleil iliMtli. M">t of the species, when handled, discharge 

 from their buily a limwn li(|mir liki' their pn)t(jty|ies lie- /f'/;r<„i,'i/(i'." 



.',. Tdiiijelix (.::<i, s/t. i/(/c..Ji(/. I. 



? Al;e supra i'lisea', aiiliea- ai-ra apicali pallidiore, laseia postmedia, 

 alteiiuiiie iiiaruiuali introrsiini I'liseo liiiiitalis oehraeeis ; postiea- liiiea aiite- 

 inari^iiiaii, altera([ue niaryiiiali nigro-l'iiseis : corpus I'uscum. 



