lOO A YEAR OF COSTA RICAN NATURAL HISTORY 



As stated on page 79 the male Lycorea atergatis can emit an 

 odor like cedar shavings, but we were unable to make any 

 observations tending to show that this odor, or the resem- 

 blance of the other butterflies to the odoriferous Lycorea^ has 

 a defensive value against birds or other animals. 



Over these slopes of Irazii, — as all around Cartago — in- 

 deed over all Costa Rica down to sea-level — we frequently 

 saw that commonest of butterflies, Anartia fatima. It is 

 a Nymphaline and has a wing-spread of one and seven- 

 eighths inches. Its wings are dark brown above, darker at 

 the tips than at the bases. The front pair have a cross-band 

 of yellow at about mid-length, three yellow spots in a row at 

 four-fifths' way to tip and two smaller yellow spots between 

 the hindmost of the first three spots and the yellow cross- 

 band. The hind wings have a yellow band of nearly the 

 same width as that on the front wings and almost in continu- 

 ation of it, but lying much nearer to the outer edge of the 

 wing; a short distance on the basal side of this band are four 

 red spots. The edges of all the wings have narrow whitish 

 scallops here and there. The undersides of the wings are a 

 much paler brown, the yellows and reds of the upper surface 

 are repeated and are of greater extent but paler. Professor 

 Tristan has found that it is the most frequent butterfly 

 visitor of the common milkweed {Asclepias curassavica) 

 and the chief agent in its pollination. The pollen masses 

 are carried from inflorescence to inflorescence attached to 

 the claws of the insect's feet. 



The whole southern side of the great mass of Irazu below 

 the forest was covered with pastures or big fields of maize 

 or potatoes, each enclosed in a loosely built stone wall topped 

 by a strand or two of barbed wire. The maize harvest was 

 all over by March. On March 15, 1910, we rode up Irazu 

 toward the village of Llano Grande, going up to 7000 feet. 

 Everywhere, as high up as we could see, the corn was cut 



