FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 49 



magical effects wrought by wind and rain upon the quivering 

 greens, browns, and yellows, and countless tints of the forest — 

 when one notes the infinitude of forms in which life is present 

 and the perfection of design with which each form is adapted to 

 its own peculiar circumstances and requirements and the 

 amazing dissimilarity in detail, yet no less wondrous unison of 

 the whole, the mind thirsts and pants to drink in deeply of the 

 intoxicating and exhilarating cup presented to it, and, attempting it 

 aims at too much. Though there may have been previously a settled 

 plan of action decided upon and a determination to examine and 

 to inquire only into one particular detail, yet the very fact that 

 the beautiful work of Nature lies all round one, sets the senses at 

 war with each other in their efforts to grasp all the deep 

 meaning and entrancing beauty of the scene, — preconceived 

 schemes are forgotten and the mind receives a number of beauti- 

 ful photographic impressions forming a series of pictures which 

 are the merest fragments representing only a very small part of 

 the whole. In Nature the intelligent mind always finds some- 

 thing to instruct, edify and amuse — she is so great, so grand, so 

 harmonious, "age cannot wither her charms, nor custom stale 

 her infinite variety." 



May 5th, 1893. 



NOTES ON A TRINIDAD BUTTERFLY. 



By the Rev. E. D. Weight. 



HYPOLIMNAS MISIPPUS inhabits the Old World and is also 

 found in the West Indies. It is remarkable on account of the 

 dissimilarity of the sexes and of the female mimicking in ap- 

 pearance and manner of flight certain butterflies of the genus 

 Danais, belonging to a different family, the Danaidce. These 

 latter are distasteful to birds <fcc, and hence enjoy an immunity 

 from attack — they have a slow, heavy flight and are easily re- 

 cognisable, so the advantage to the female misippus of resembling 

 them is obvious. 



The male misippus is black with a large round white patch 

 in the middle of each of the wings — and two smaller white marks 

 at apex of the forewings. Hence it is popularly called the Four 

 Continents in Trinidad, where it is not uncommon. The female 

 has the wings brown and the lower half of the forewing black in 

 which is an oblique bar of very clear white. Thus it bears a 



