63 



quarters we found a perfect Eldorado. Zeonia licursis was abundant, 

 and a joy to watch. The flight of this Erycinid is very different from 

 that of the great majority of the Erycinidce, and its method of 

 ahghting with wings half open, ready for flight, made it look 

 like a small Papilionid. We found that we broke off a good many 

 of the tails at first, until we thought of the plan of never netting the 

 species tail on, but always with the head towards the net. After 

 this we each secured a good series in the finest condition. Panara 

 n. sp. (?) near thysbe, Lhnnas xenia, Emesis fatimella, Eurygoiia 

 eiipliva^ were also common. The Syntomidce were usually the 

 earliest to arrive. Callopepla inachia was usually present by the time 

 we got on the ground, and was generally joined by Cyaiiopepla orbotia 

 and Napata castra. After breakfast we usually went off in another 

 direction, and had the delight of seeing AlorpJio (rga-Awil M. thamyris 

 flying in the sunshine. These insects, and, indeed, all species of 

 Morpho, we found did not fly till after 1 1 o'clock, when the sun was 

 hot. Both the two species mentioned, as well as AI. anaxibia, have 

 larvje that feed on the " taquara," or native bamboo. It so happened 

 that this year (19 lo) the taquaras hereabout were all in seed, and 

 thousands of plants were dead — as always happens after the tree has 

 borne a heavy quantity of fruit. Such a state of things is said to 

 happen only about once in twenty-five to thirty years, and then 

 the rats, with an abundance of food, suddenly increase enormously 

 in numbers. At Iraty, some nine or ten miles from Fernandes, 

 there was a regular plague of rats. It would be interesting to know 

 what becomes of the three species of Morpho when the food-plant 

 suddenly gives out. If there is no alternative food-plant these insects 

 must periodically become all but exterminated over large areas of 

 country. These particular species of Morpho, strange as it may seem, 

 have, in the pupal state, to endure temperatures the very reverse of 

 tropical. In the open campo Mr. Jones occasionally recorded 

 minima at night of 10° degrees below freezing. It must follow, 

 therefore, that in the scattered patches of woodland, temperatures 

 in the neighbourhood of freezing-point have to be occasionally 

 endured. 



At Fernandes we found AI. epistrophis was beginning to go over. 

 This is a tree-feeding species. Epiphile negritia, Callicore candreiia, 

 C. eluiua, Ancea, Dynamine myrrhma and D. tnceon were quite 

 abundant in the forest glades. The path to Iraty we found particu- 

 larly good, and one where we saw some magnificent cardinal birds 

 sitting in the trees overhead. 



Fernandes is a local centre for the collection of the "Mate" or 

 Paraguayan tea. The tree grows wild, and in plenty, in the forest, 

 and paths have been cut through the woods in all directions to reach 

 these trees. The boughs are cut and dried in an oven or over a fire 

 in the case of the peasants, and then the leaves and twigs are 

 chopped up and used just like ordinary tea. The flavour is not at 

 all like tea, but has a smokiness, to which one becomes very soon 



