D640 Insects. 



June 25. I went out collecting again yesterday, but not to much 

 profit; common sorts mostly. In one sweep of the net I got thirty or 

 forly Callidryas Argente, and could have taken two hundred easily : 

 it is a sight when your net is full of these great fluttering fellows. 

 I got a lot of very fine Ituna Laniyra, which you say are wanted: it 

 is rather abundant at the Mines, and seems to be attracted by human 

 excrement. Timela Chiron and T. Berania were in thousands, but 

 difficult to capture, flying with great swiftness. I also captured a pair 

 of Heliconia Eleuchia. Why does it take so much to kill a Heliconia 

 or anyfof the larger clear-winged sorts ? They stand no end of pinching, 

 and live for days in the envelopes to which I consign them. Collecting 

 is ticklish work in the best ])laces : the villains know their game, and 

 flutter about a tempting bank, safe in the fact that if you strike, your 

 net will be caught by a lurking bamboo, whose thorns with that one 

 blow will tear your net to ribbons past all repair, without an evening's 

 darning. One has to be very cautious about this, as a single slap into 

 one of the thousand thorn-bearing abominations does your business 

 for that day efl"ectually ; and then all our roads through the woods 

 are muddy, or on the edge of horrible precipices, where a false step 

 sends you to Pluto's dark domain, and where, as ha|)pened to me a few 

 days since, a vigorous stroke separates slick from socket, and your net 

 flies down fifty feet of ravine, to get down which is impossible, and 

 recovery only possible by sending a man into the river below to 

 clamber up the perpendicular wall of clay, thorns and tangle to the 

 temporary lodging of your net. 



October 14. 1 cannot learn the habits of the lantern fly yet, but 

 doubt his luminosity much, as nobody here has seen his lamp. You 

 shall have nests of spiders; they are abundant. 



The Morphos are attracted with sugar, and I purpose a grand 

 experiujcnt of this kind. To catch Morphos on the wing requires 

 a quick eye and hand, but it is very difficult. Some of thera are not 

 quite so quick, and float along, or flit rather, and their grand colours 

 give you a good sight of them. 



The Caligos, C. Ajax, C. Idomeneus, C. Telamon, &c., differ in their 

 habits. They fly at dusk, and settle every moment on tree-trunks, 

 where you may take them with the hand sometiuies. C. Ajax himself 

 I have not so caught, but C. Idomeneus is found everywhere below 

 in the cold country. 



Catagraranias of several species are numerous about the mines of 

 Sant Ana, especially C. Marshalii, which we call " 89," from the 

 figures on the under side, but thej' are all hard to catch; they flit like 



