42 RIO DE JANEIRO. 



comparative importance of the different orders may 

 be interesting to the EngUsh entomologist. The 

 large and brilliantly-coloured Lepidoptera bespeak 

 the zone they inhabit, far more plainly than any 

 other race of animals. I allude only to the butter- 

 flies ; for the moths, contrary to what might Imve 

 been expected from the rankness of the vegetation, 

 certainly appeared in much fewer numbers than in 

 our own temperate regions. I was much surprised 

 at the habits of Papilio feronia. This butterfly is 

 not uncommon, and generally frequents the orange- 

 groves. Although a high flier, yet it very frequent- 

 ly alights on the trunks of trees. On these occa- 

 sions its head is invariably placed downwards ; and 

 its wings are expanded in a horizontal plane, instead 

 of being folded vertically, as is commonly the case. 

 This is the only butterfly which I have ever seen 

 that uses its legs for running. Not being aware of 

 this fact, the insect, more than once, as I cautious- 

 ly approached with my forceps, shuffled on one side 

 just as the instrument was on the point of closing, 

 and thus escaped. But a far more singular fact is 

 the power which this species possesses of making 

 a noise.* Several times when a pair, probably 

 male and female, were chasing each other in an ir- 

 regular course, they passed within a few yards of 

 me ; and I distinctly heard a clicking noise, simi- 

 lar to that produced by a toothed wheel passing 

 under a spring catch. The noise was continued at 



* Mr. Doubleday has lately described (before the Entomologi- 

 cal Society, March 3d, 1845) a peculiar structure in the wings of 

 this butterfly, which seems to be the means of its making its noise. 

 He says, " It is remarkable for having a sort of drum at the base 

 of the fore wings, between the costal nervure and the subcostal. 

 These two nervures, moreover, have a peculiar screw-like dia- 

 phragm or vessel in the interior." I find in Langsdorff' s travels 

 (in the years 1803-7, p. 74) it is said, that in the island of St. Cath- 

 erine's, on the coast of Brazil, a butterfly, called Februa Hoffman- 

 seggi, makes a noise, when flying away, like a rattle. 



