Cuap. III. DRAGON-FLIES. 53 
succeeded in finding many moths at night. In situations such as gardens 
and wood sides, where so many are to be seen in England, scarcely a 
single individual is to be found. I attribute this scarcity of nocturnal 
moths to the multitude of night-flying insectivorous animals, chiefly bats 
and goat-suckers, which perpetually haunt the places where they would 
be found. On the open commons a moth is seen flying about in broad 
daylight which is scarcely distinguishable from the common English 
Plusia Gamma. Several times I found the Erebus strix expanded over 
the trunks of trees, to the bark of which it is assimilated in colour. 
This is one of the largest moths known, some specimens measuring 
nearly a foot in expanse. Along the narrow paths in the forests, an 
immense number of clear-winged moths are found in the day-time; 
mostly coloured like wasps, bees, ichneumon flies, and other Hymeno- 
pterous insects. Some species of the same family have opaque wings, 
and wear the livery of different species of beetles ; these hold their 
wings in repose, in a closed position over their bodies, so that they look 
like the wing-cases of the beetles they deceptively imitate. 
The Libellulidz, or Dragon-flies, are almost equally conspicuous 
with the butterflies in open, sunny places. More than a hundred 
different kinds are found near Para; the numerous ditches and pools 
being, doubtless, favourable to their increase, for the adolescent states 
of the dragon-fly are passed in an element different from that in which 
the adult exists. ‘The species are not all confined to open, sunny 
places. Some are adapted to live only in the darkest shades of the 
forest, and these are, perhaps, the most beautiful, being brightly coloured 
and more delicate in structure than the others. One of them, the 
Chalcopteryx rutilans, is seen only near the shady rivulets which cross 
the solitary Magoary road. Its fore-wings are quite transparent, whilst 
the hind-wings have a dark ground-colour, which glitters with a violet 
and golden refulgence. All the kinds of dragon-flies wage an unceasing 
war with day-flying winged insects, and I am inclined to think that 
they commit as much. destruction in this way as birds do. I have often 
observed them chasing butterflies. They are not always successful 
in capturing them, for some of their intended victims, by a dodging 
manner of flight, contrive to escape their clutches. When a dragon-fly 
seizes his prey, he retires to a tree, and there, seated on a branch, 
devours the body at his leisure. The different species consume great 
quantities of small flies, especially during the brief twilight, when large 
flocks of the hawk-like creatures congregate to chase them over the 
swamps and about the tree-tops. 
Bees and wasps are not especially numerous near Para, and I will 
reserve an account of their habits for a future chapter. Many species of 
Mygale, those monstrous hairy spiders, half a foot in expanse, which 
attract the attention so much in museums, are found in sandy places 
at Nazareth. The different kinds have the most diversified habits. 
Some construct, amongst the tiles or thatch of houses, dens of closely- 
woven web, which in texture very much resemble fine muslin; these 
are often seen crawling over the walls of apartments. Others build 
similar nests in trees, and are known to attack birds. One very robust 
fellow, the Mygale Blondii, burrows into the earth, forming a broad 
