142 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



consisting of many hundreds, may easily be captm'ed in 



an ordinary net. The yard around Dona Antonia's house 



at La Prision, reeking of animal effluvia, was a favourite 



resort of many of the butterflies of the district. As a 



matter of fact I secured more specimens at this place than 



anywhere else. On hot sunny mornings they began to 



assemble between eight and nine, increasing in number 



until midday, when they actually swarmed all over the 



place. By far the greater proportion was of the genus 



Gallidryas with a fair number of red and black Heliconii. 



Although the different kinds would fight for the same 



spots, it appeared to me that in alighting each species 



tried to herd with its own kind, for the various sorts 



would be usually bunched together. Those separated 



from their congeners were sure to be late arrivals who 



were glad to secure a place anywhere. Of the other 



butterflies subject to this infatuation for alighting on 



some small spot of damp ground, apparently in no way 



different to hundreds of square feet around, I may mention 



Papilio protesilaus, Metamorpha dido, and Ccerois chori- 



ncBus} The last butterfly, however, appeared to prefer 



the parts of the house where we lived as resting-places. 



I was surprised at the number which came to the house, 



because, so far as my experience goes, these butterflies are 



not met with in numbers. At times they would remain 



stationary, either slowly opening and shutting their wings, 



or keeping them quite closed. At other times they 



shuffled along the posts, stopping at intervals for a few 



moments. I noticed that these posts were infested with 



wood-lice and very small ants. May not the presence of 



' The abundance of Ccerois cJiorinccus at La Prision may be accounted 

 for by the existence of fields of sugar-cane, on wliich the larva of this 

 species is said to feed. 



