306 



MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. 



An interesting liabit of bnttei'flies l)el()ni;ing to this genus was 

 witnessed b}' one of m}- biotliers, William Denton, in Coloniljia, 

 South Aniei'ica. One day, while he was out collecting, he noticed 

 several male s[)ecimens of a very handsome s[)ecies fluttering about 

 a l)ush by the roadside. These he took with his net, and was about 

 to move on, when other specimens were seen approaching. In a 

 short time he had several moi'e, but still they kept coming to the 

 same bush. Tliis excited his curiosity, and upon carefully exam- 

 ining tlie bush he discovered a number of chrysalides of the female 

 of this s})ecies upon it, the Ijutterflies within being plainly visible 

 and almost lead}^ to l)urst their shells. Tlie males were already 

 assembling to welcome the females on their emerging from their 

 chrysalides. 



HcUcoxid clKiritonut is our only native species of this genus, l)ut 

 it is a handsome insect, as one may see by refei'ence to tlie plate. 

 This l)utterfly is abundantly found in iNIexico and Central America, 

 and occasionally it may be seen in nundjcrs in southern Florida, 

 where it flies lazily in tlie hot sunshine. Like the dift'erent s[)ecies 

 of AfiraulU^ the larva of this insect feeds on the passion vine. 



'J'wo beautiful insects belonging to the genus Eumenes inhal^it 

 the extreme southern poition of our countiy. 



Kiuaeiiia ;uala. 



Eumenia atahi is a. common inse'-t in southern Florida early in 

 February, where it may sometimes be seen by dozens clustered on 

 the flowering plants. It is usually very abundant near Miami in 

 that state. The wings of tliis insect are black with streaks of 

 metallic green or blue below the upper margin of the upper pair. 



