Cuap. I. TROPICAL BUTTERFLIES. . I! 
tropical than in temperate latitudes. If we reflect on all these facts, we 
must come to the conclusion, that climate, to which we are naturally at 
first sight inclined to attribute much, has little or no direct influence in the 
matter. Mr. Darwin was led to the same conclusion many years ago, 
when comparing the birds, plants, and insects of the Galapagos islands, 
situated under the equator, with those of Patagonia and Tropical 
America. The abundance of food, the high temperature, absence of sea- 
sons, extreme of cold and dearth, and the variety of stations, all probably 
operate in favouring the existence of a greater number and variety of 
species in tropical than in temperate latitudes. This, perhaps, is all we 
can say with regard to the influence of climatal conditions. The causes 
which have produced the great beauty that astonishes us, if we really 
wish to investigate them, must be sought in other directions. I think 
that the facts above mentioned are calculated to guide us in the search. 
They show, for instance, that beauty of form and colour is not peculiar 
to one zone, but is producible under any climate where a number of 
species of a given genus lead a flourishing existence. The ornamental 
dress is generally the property of one sex to the exclusion of the other, 
and the cases of widest contrast between the two are exhibited in those 
regions where life is generally more active and prolific. All this points 
to the mutual relations of the species, and especially to those between 
the sexes, as having far more to do in the matter than climate. 
In the gardens, numbers of fine showy butterflies were seen. There 
were two swallow-tailed species, similar in colours to the English Papilio 
Machaon ; a white Pieris (P. Monuste), and two or three species of 
brimstone and orange coloured butterflies, which do not belong, how- 
ever, to the same genus as our English species. In weedy places, a 
beautiful butterfly, with eye-like spots on its wings, was common, the 
Junonia Lavinia, the only Amazonian species which is at all nearly 
related to our Vanessas, the Admiral and Peacock butterflies. One day 
we made our first acquaintance with two of the most beautiful pro- 
ductions of nature in this department: namely, the Helicopis Cupido 
and Endymion. A little beyond our house, one of the narrow green 
lanes which I have already mentioned diverged from the Monguba 
avenue, and led between enclosures overrun with a profusion of 
creeping plants and glorious flowers, down to a moist hollow, where 
there was a public well in a picturesque nook, buried in a grove of 
Mucaja palm-trees. On the tree-trunks, walls, and palings grew a great 
quantity of climbing Pothos plants, with large glossy heart-shaped 
leaves. These plants were the resort of these two exquisite species, and 
we captured a great number of specimens. ‘They are of extremely 
delicate texture. The wings are cream-coloured ; the hind pair have 
several tail-like appendages, and are spangled beneath as if with silver. 
Their flight is very slow and feeble ; they seek the protected under- 
surface of the leaves, and in repose close their wings over the back, so 
as to expose the brilliantly spotted under-surface. 
I will pass over the many other orders of families of insects, and 
proceed at once to the ants. These were in great numbers everywhere, 
but I will mention here only two kinds. We were amazed at seeing 
ants an inch and a quarter in length, and stout in proportion, marching 
