42 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



HELICONIUS MELPOMENE. 



Papilio melpomene^ Linn., Syst. Nat. (ed. x.), p. 467, no. 55 

 (1758); id., Mus. Ludov. Ulr., p. 232 (1764); Cramer, 

 Pap. Exot, ii., pi. 191, fig. C. (1777). 



Heliconia melpomene^ Godart, Encycl. Me"th., ix., p. 208, no. 15 



Heliconius melpomene, Bates, Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond., xxiii., p. 

 557, no. 12 (1862); Godman and Salvin, Biol. Centrali- 

 Amer., Lepid. Rhop., i., p. 154 (1881); Staud., Exot. 

 Schmett., i., p. 78, pi. 32 (1885). 



A black Butterfly, with a broad red bar across the fore- 

 wings. It is common in South and Central America as far 

 north as Nicaragua ; and there are a number of closely-allied 

 species. 



Heliconius is a rather large genus of handsome Butterflies, 

 which may easily be known by the characters of the Sub-family 

 given above, and by their comparatively large size, and long 

 slender antennae. The species of Eueides^ Hiibn., the only other 

 genus, are much smaller, and have shorter antennae, more 

 distinctly clubbed. 



These Butterflies are always black or blue-black, with yellow, 

 white, red, and tawny markings. Some are very simply 

 coloured, as, for instance, H. melpomene (Linn.), and its allies, 

 which are black, with a broad red band or blotch 0:1 the fore- 

 wings. In other species there may be a white or yellow band, 

 or even two or three on the fore-wings, perhaps with red or 

 yellow markings at the base, at least underneath ; and the hind- 

 wings may be banded with white, red, or yellow, or radiated 

 with red, blue, or green. We have figured two species, H. 

 erato (Linn.; pi. viii., fig. i), and H. vesta (Cram.; pi. viii., 

 fig. 2), which exhibit these radiated markings. There is an in- 



