Mr. P. H. Gosse on the Insects of Jamaica. 271 



the same twig or leaf it had left. Its flight is rapid and com- 

 manding, effected by a succession of great, irregular bounds, if I 

 may use such a term, with a leisurely flapping of the large wings ; 

 hut sometimes it sails along with very little flapping. Its ap- 

 pearance in the air, from its size and dark colour, is striking. 



44. Charaxes Cadmus. With much resemblance to the pre- 

 ceding species in form and coloration, Cadmus resembles it still 

 more in general habits. It frequents also the same localities, 

 but less exclusively ; for besides Sabito and the Cave, where it is 

 most common and constant, it occurs also in summer on the 

 Harapstead Road, and in many lanes and glades in the hill-side 

 woods. It is a butterfly of lofty flight, wary and swift, and hence 

 is difficult of capture ; yet sometimes, when sitting on a leaf, it 

 manifests an unusual fearlessness. Its habit is to fly rapidly 

 round and round a considerable area over the trees, occasionally 

 resting on the lofty leaves and twigs : if another of the same spe- 

 cies appears, an encounter takes place, whether hostile or ama- 

 tory I know not, during which they whirl round each other with 

 amazing rapidity ; in these tussles they often descend near the 

 ground, but on separation each returns to its usual elevation. 

 The mode of resting suddenly from flight, without any hovering, 

 even for a moment, over the spot, the immediate closure of the 

 wings and the position, the head always being downward, with 

 many other details of habit, are common to Portia, Orion and 

 Cadmus. 



45. lAbythea (sp. no v. ? near Motya). All I can say of this 

 is that it was taken by my servant at Alligator Pond, a few yards 

 from the sea-side, on an afternoon near the end of June. 



46. Calisto Zangis. We rarely see this butterfly in the open 

 fields or roads, but within the sombre shade of the woods it is 

 almost everywhere to be met with, from the forest which comes 

 down to the sea-side at Sabito to the summit of Bluefields Peak ; 

 and it is no less numerous than widely spread. Its habits are 

 much the same as those of our own sylvan Hipparchiae ; it pro- 

 ceeds with an irregular dancing jerking motion, a few inches 

 above the ground ; commonly pursuing the same general direc- 

 tion, never hovering or flitting to and fro, rarely turning upon 

 its course, and rarely alighting. Its flight is slow and feeble, 

 and hence it is captured with the utmost facility. The large eye- 

 like spot in the centre of the anterior wing in the male gives to 

 this sex an aspect very diverse from that of the female. It is 

 abundant throughout the whole year. 



47. Thecla Pan. The Hampstead Road is the chief locality 

 in which I have seen this species. There, in June, it is very com- 

 mon, frisking about in the morning sun, over such trees as are 

 in blossom, in large parties, often alighting, and rubbing the 



