INTRODUCTORY PAPKRS UN LKPIDOPTERA. 155 



at about half its length towards the hinder angle, to which it 

 nearly extends. There is a basal stripe on the hind wings, 

 and an outer continuous row of spots. In H. Atthis the hind 

 wings are similarly marked, but the outer spots are milk- 

 white, and there is a short yellow basal stripe, with a broader 

 transverse one at the extremity, beyond which are one or two 

 white spots, and an outer row corresponding lo that on the 

 fore wings. 1 know of no genus which presents a greater 

 variety, combined with so much uniformity, of both colour, 

 marking, and pattern, as Heliconius. 



One of the prettiest species is H. Cyrhia, which is dark 

 blue, with a red transverse band on the fore wings, and the 

 border of the hind wings spotted with white. A great 

 number of the commonest and best-known species are black, 

 red, and yellow. H. ClyHonyinus has an irregular transverse 

 yellow band on the fore wings, and a broad red band on the 

 hind wings. In H. Phyllis, and its allies, these colours are 

 reversed, there being a red band on the fore wings and a 

 yellow one on the hind wings, and sometimes a yellow basal 

 streak on the fore wings also. H. Eraie is remarkable for 

 appearing under two forms in both sexes, which were 

 naturally supposed to be two species, till Mr. Bates reared 

 them both from the same larva. In both there is a large 

 transverse cluster of yellow spots in the middle of the fore 

 wings, and a band of four or five large spots across the tip; 

 but in typical Eraie the hind wings are rayed with red ; and 

 in Doris with greenish, blue. Sonie forms, allied to Melpomene, 

 in which there is a large red stripe across the fore wings, are 

 marked with red only, being more or less banded, spotted, or 

 rayed, on the fore or hind wings, or both ; and H. Thelxiope 

 is rayed with red on all the wings, but more or less spotted 

 with yellow beyond the middle of the fore wings. H. Ricini, 

 a species somewhat approaching Eueides, has a yellow band 

 on the middle of the fore wings, and a smaller one towards 

 the tip ; the hind wings are red, with a broad black border. 



The species of Heliconius measure from two to four inches 

 in expanse; but those of Eueides, wh\chf as vfe have said, 

 may be known by the difference in their antennae, rarely 

 exceed two inches and a half. They are generally black and 

 tawny, varied with dull yellow. The first group resembles 

 Heliconius TJielxiope and allies, being black, veined with 

 dull red, and spotted with dull yellow beyond, instead of 

 sulphur-yellow. E. Thales may be considered as the repre- 

 sentative of this group. Another group, of which E. Lybia 



