Dr. G. B. Longstaff's Bionomic Notes on Butterflies. 6l5 



Dione vanill/e, Linn, (Jamaica, 1907). Of 17 ^ 

 examined 13 exhibited an odour varying from very- 

 faint to very strong : in character this was distinctly 

 disagreeable, and I noted it as " unpleasant," " like cow- 

 dung," or " like asses," but more usually as " like a 

 stable." My wife considered it " unpleasant," or " offen- 

 sive." Mr. Abell thought it "musky." A single ^ of 

 the nearly allied D.juno, Cram. (Venezuela, 1907), had a 

 slight stable-like odour. 



Colcvnis cillene, Cram. (Jamaica, 1907). In 8 ^ out of 

 11 examined there was a scent, decided, but in no case 

 strong. Its character was noted as " peculiar," " sweetish," 

 " pleasant," " distinctly aromatic," " resinous," " drug-like," 

 or " medicinal " ; it suggested to me at one time or another 

 tar, Canada-balsam and ^n4?'c carbolic acid, but my wife 

 compared it to ginger, or a mixture of ginger with jasmine. 

 It is evident that this scent puzzled me greatly at the 

 time, but subsequent experience with other scents 

 makes me think that sassafras would probably be the 

 best comparison. 



HELICONIIN.E. 



Heliconius euryades, Riff. (Trinidad, 1907). Two $ were 

 examined ; one had a peculiar, rather pleasant, smell, the 

 other none. Two $ were also examined, one with a doubt- 

 ful result, the other had a slight odour like that of the 

 species next mentioned, but it was only perceptible during 

 life. 



Heliconius hjdarus, Hew. (Trinidad, Tobago, Venezuela, 

 1907). Eleven ^ were examined: 3 gave a negative 

 result and 1 was doubtful, but the remaining 7 had a 

 scent which varied from " very slight " to " very strong," 

 and was described as "musty," "like acetylene," or "like 

 hazeline" {Hamamelis virginica, Witch-hazel). This last 

 comparison, which stiuck me as very good, is due to Mr, 

 G. H. Sworder of Cocoa Wattie, Tobago, who was quite 

 familiar with the scent of the butterHy. Eight ? were 

 examined, only 1 with negative results ; in the other 

 7 the scent varied from slight to strong, and was de- 

 scribed as " disagreeable," " like acetylene," or " like 

 hazeline." In the case of 1 ^ and 1 ? the scent was 

 so strong as to be easily discerned when the butterfly was 

 fluttering in the net. 



Five of the above butterflies were captured in Trinidad 



