﻿264 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  R. 
  Wallace 
  on 
  the 
  Habits 
  of 
  Butterflies, 
  S^c. 
  

  

  comprehends 
  a 
  very 
  peculiar 
  group 
  of 
  insects, 
  consisting 
  of 
  the 
  

   genera 
  Pyrgus, 
  Nisoniades 
  and 
  Achilodes. 
  They 
  have 
  the 
  upper 
  

   wind's 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  convex, 
  and 
  never 
  erect 
  them 
  in 
  repose, 
  and 
  

   they 
  will, 
  I 
  believe, 
  form 
  a 
  very 
  natural 
  subdivision 
  of 
  the 
  family^ 
  

  

  The 
  different 
  genera 
  vary 
  much 
  in 
  the 
  situations 
  they 
  frequent. 
  

   The 
  beautiful 
  Pyrrhopyga 
  Mcenas 
  and 
  Ericides 
  Gnetus 
  were 
  found 
  

   in 
  open 
  places 
  on 
  sandy 
  beaches, 
  often 
  settling 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  and 
  

   seeking 
  out 
  dead 
  fish 
  or 
  decaying 
  animal 
  matter 
  to 
  alight 
  upon. 
  

   Goniuris 
  Proteus 
  prefers 
  open 
  grounds 
  in 
  the 
  hot 
  sunshine, 
  as 
  does 
  

   Goniloha 
  Exadeus, 
  while 
  the 
  greater 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  with 
  

   vitreous 
  spots 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  thick 
  woods 
  and 
  many 
  in 
  the 
  depths 
  of 
  

   the 
  virgin 
  forest. 
  The 
  smaller 
  species 
  have 
  the 
  characteristic 
  

   mode 
  of 
  flight 
  which 
  has 
  obtained 
  for 
  them 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  skippers, 
  

   but 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  and 
  strong-bodied 
  kinds 
  are 
  remarkable 
  

   for 
  the 
  excessive 
  rapidity 
  of 
  their 
  flight, 
  which 
  I 
  believe 
  exceeds 
  

   that 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  insects. 
  The 
  eye 
  cannot 
  follow 
  them 
  as 
  they 
  

   dart 
  past 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  air, 
  forcibly 
  divided, 
  gives 
  out 
  a 
  deep 
  sound 
  

   louder 
  than 
  that 
  produced 
  by 
  the 
  humming-bird 
  itself. 
  If 
  power 
  

   of 
  wing 
  and 
  rapidity 
  of 
  flight 
  could 
  place 
  them 
  in 
  that 
  rank, 
  they 
  

   should 
  be 
  considered 
  the 
  most 
  higldy 
  organized 
  of 
  butterflies. 
  

  

  Several 
  species 
  of 
  Castnia 
  occur 
  on 
  the 
  Amazon, 
  which, 
  though 
  

   diurnal 
  in 
  their 
  habits 
  and 
  brightly 
  coloured, 
  cannot 
  be 
  classed 
  

   with 
  the 
  butterflies. 
  They 
  also 
  rest 
  with 
  their 
  wings 
  deflexed, 
  

   so 
  that 
  the 
  upper 
  only 
  are 
  visible, 
  after 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  the 
  Bomhy- 
  

   c'ldce, 
  and 
  they 
  generally 
  sit 
  upon 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  stick 
  or 
  twig 
  in 
  

   the 
  full 
  sunshine. 
  

  

  In 
  conclusion, 
  I 
  venture 
  to 
  hope 
  that 
  if 
  my 
  observations 
  are 
  

   wanting 
  in 
  detail 
  and 
  in 
  precision 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  exact 
  species 
  to 
  which 
  

   they 
  apply, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  imputed, 
  not 
  to 
  want 
  of 
  accuracy 
  on 
  my 
  

   part, 
  but 
  to 
  the 
  loss 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  portion 
  of 
  my 
  notes 
  and 
  collections 
  

   during 
  my 
  return 
  voyage 
  to 
  this 
  country. 
  I 
  trust, 
  however, 
  that 
  

   in 
  tlie 
  absence 
  of 
  much 
  information 
  on 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  exotic 
  insects, 
  

   my 
  remarks, 
  however 
  imperfect, 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  altogether 
  valueless. 
  

  

  