300 THE LO\YER AMAZONS. Chap. VI I. 



great ^schnae dragon-flies, take their insect prey whilst 

 on the wing, when the upper surface of the wings is the 

 side most conspicuous. 



In the broad alleys of the forest where these beau- 

 tiful insects are found, several species of Morpho were 

 common. One of these is a sister form to the Morpho 

 Hecuba, which I have mentioned as occurring at Oby- 

 dos. The Villa Nova kind differs from Hecuba suffi- 

 ciently to be considered a distinct species, and has 

 been described under the name of M. Cisseis ; but it 

 is clearly only a local variety of it, the range of 

 the two being limited by the barrier of the broad 

 Amazons. It is a grand sight to see these colossal but- 

 terflies by twos and threes floating at a great height in 

 the still air of a tropical morning. They flap their wings 

 only at long intervals, for I have noticed them to sail 

 a very considerable distance without a stroke. Their 

 wing-muscles and the thorax to which they are at- 

 tached, are very feeble in comparison with the wide 

 extent and weight of the wings : but the large ex- 

 panse of these members doubtless assists the insects in 

 maintaining their aerial course. Morphos are amongst 

 the most conspicuous of the insect denizens of Tropical 

 American forests, and the broad glades of the Villa Nova 

 woods seemed especially suited to them, for I noticed 

 here six species. The largest specimens of Morpho 

 Cisseis measure seven inches and a half in expanse. 

 Another smaller kind, which I could not capture, was 

 of a pale silvery-blue colour, and the polished surface 

 of its wings flashed like a silver speculum, as the insect 

 flapped its wings at a great elevation in the sunlight. 



