114 PSYCHE [December 



N0TK8 ON THK INSECTS OF BARBADOS. ST. VINCENT, THE 

 GRENADINES, AND (iRENADA.^ 



HY AUSTIN H. CLARK.. BOSTON. MASS. 



Thk island of Barbados is unique among the islands of the Lesser Antilles in 

 being truly oceanic in the sense of not having had any land connection since the 

 introduction of its present — comparatively speaking — meagre fauna. It differs 

 from all the other islands in being flat, and superficially of coral formation, and is 

 separated from them by soundings of between looo and 1500 fathoms, while the 

 nearest (St. Vincent and St. Lucia) are about 100 miles away. The fauna is 

 wholly made up of common and generally distributed West Indian types, except 

 where, as in the case of some of the birds, prolonged isolation has given rise to 

 forms different from, though closely related to, others on neighboring islands. In 

 the case of the insects they have been brought there either by winds or on floating 

 wood, etc. Of course many have been accidentally introduced by man. There is 

 no other island in the world so highly cultivated as Barbados, the forest having 

 everywhere given place to the cane field ; and this doubtless accounts for the 

 paucity of its lepidopterous fauna to some extent. 



The economic entomology of this and the other West Indian Islands has 

 received considerable attention from the Imperial Department of Agriculture for 

 the West Indies, and is dealt with in their periodicals, the "West Indian Bulletin." 

 and the " Agricultural News," both published at Bridgetown, Barbados. 



The butterflies observed here were very few, both in species and in numbers, 

 although I have visited the island at all seasons of the year. The commonest is 

 Callidryas eubuk. Others frequently seen are Agraulis vanillae, Junonia coenia, 

 Colaciiis julia^ Eurema lisa (.?), E. clathea {/), several Lycaenas, and a number of 

 skippers. Pontia nioimste and Anosia pkxippus are occasionally met with. 



St. Vincent is high and rugged, with a large area of forest: in fact only the 

 lower parts of the river valleys have been cleared of trees. In the woods, along 

 the mountain paths, Fapilio polydamus is very common, the larvae feeding on vari- 

 ous species of wild Aristolochia. This species on St. Vincent appears to be above 

 the average in size, with more yellow on the wings than in sjoecimens from other 

 localities. It is very abundant, and is sometimes found on tin- lower levels. I was 

 surprised to find Diane juno common in the St. Vincent woods, taking the place of 

 Agraulis vanillae of the lowlands. There is a very large brilliant blue Thccla 

 common in the highlands, and on one of the mountain ridges I obtained a freshly 



' These notes were made during a recent visit to the islands, heniiniin}; in July, 19113, and ending in September 



