OF THE AMAZON VALLEY 
557 
10. Heliconiijs Erato, Linnaeus. 
Papilio Erato, Linn. Mus. Lud. Ulr. 231 (1764). 
Amathusia, Cram. Pap. Exot. t. 1 77- f- F. (1770). 
- Doris, Linn. Mant. 536 (1771)* var. 
, Cram. Pap. Exot. t. 337- f. C (1782). 
Quirina, Cram. I. c. t. 65. f. A, B. (1779)- 
The two forms, Erato and Boris, offer a striking contrast in their colours, one being red, 
the othf3r blue, and were naturally considered two perfectly distinct species. I thought 
they were such myself, until I bred them from precisely simil ar larvae, which fed together 
in one cluster on the same tree. There are males and females in about equal numbers of 
both forms. I did not find, in the many hundreds of examples which I examined, any 
intermediate variety ; the species, therefore, offers a case of dimorphism of which it i 
difficult to surmise the purpose. This case of variation in colour may, however, help to 
explain how the very diversified species of this genus have originated, 
in. both forms throughout the delta region of the Amazons, Guiana, and New Granada 
H.K 
5 u " ul "^ " A ^ u " iV ^5 
but on the Upper Amazons, at St. Paulo, I found one of them absent, the blue one 
(Doris) only existing there ; it occurred, however, in great numbers. 
The larva has a series of moderately long hispid spines on each segment of the body : 
the head is bifid ; in colour it is yellow, with narrow black bands. The chrysalis is smooth, 
without angles ; the head, however, is prolonged to a point. It is suspended freely by 
the tail. The pupa-state lasts eight days. 
11. Heliconius Metharme, Erichson. 
Heliconia Metha? 
- This species has very much the appearance of H. Erato (var Dom), but rt wants the 
patch of blue at the base of the hind wings above ; it has, on the other hand, a ser.es of 
short bluish lines near the hind margin, which are absent in H. Erato. Vr «»«£» 
a common insect at Ega and St. Paulo, but did not occur at al on the I^r^ 
The species is found only in the interior of the forest, flymg slowly and delighting to 
ItLTnL scarlet bloslms of a climbing-plant ; whilst H. Erato is seen only on the 
skirts of the woods and in damp waste places. 
12. Heliconius Melpomene, Linnaeus. 
Papilio Melpomene, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. 758. n. 71. 
Cramer Pap. Exot. t. 191. f. C. 
x, a i • ' «,p middle nart of the Lower Amazon region, at Obydos and Santarem, 
Found only in the middle part 01 .^^ BrazU ^ 
where the dry, hilly country o Guiana fro* U^rth , a ^ ^ ^ 
the south reach JjJ-J- £-J-^ ^ » * J, ^ contrasted , and the 
zons „ hght and sandy , ^ The ies ^ occurs t hroughout 
forests thinner, than in the rot , ^^ from ^ humid 
2TJKSS *oth Z tt: "and to t ne west of the places above mentioned. 
