404 Timehri. 
taken as a typical example. This insect is only now and then seen near 
the city, but is common at the back of villages. As a type of the second, 
Anosia plexippus, the Asclepias, or wild ipecacuanha butterfly, fulvous 
and with black veins, seen in plenty feeding on the flowers of 
the food-plant of its caterpillar, may be selected. It is said that 
even mites, so destructive to insects in museums if adequate 
precautions be not taken to keep off their attentions, do mot 
attack it in collections, and I have lately come across an incident which 
seems to show that some ants at least have no relish for it. A lad col- 
lected a few of our large moths and butterflies, and pinned them on a 
board to dry, but never thought he might have to reckon against an in- 
yasion of ants. Next morning it was found that every insect had been 
attacked except the Anosias. 
The Ithomiine fly much like the Heliconine but never seem to 
quit the shades of woods or forests. Only one of these insects, 
viz., Mechanitis polymnia, is seen near the city. It may be met 
with occasionally in the shady and bushy parts of the Botanie 
Gardens, either having been brought up from further inland by 
strong land breezes, or having been bred there naturally from the burra- 
burra, a species of Solanum, on which its caterpillar feeds. 
Most of the Hesperiide or skippers have a strong rapid but not con- 
tinuous flight. They fly generally short distances at a time, a sort of 
skipping flight—hence their common name of skippers. It is marvellous, 
indeed, how powerful stout-bodied members of this family will, even 
while copulating, dash with lightning velocity through a dense tangle of 
vegetation without so much as striking against a leaf or a twig, such oppos- 
ing objects being dodged or eluded with incredible dexterity. Wallace was 
inclined to believe that the rapidity of flight of the larger skippers sur- 
passed that of all other insects. ‘‘ The eye cannot follow them as they 
dart past; and the air forcibly divided, gives out a sound louder than 
that produced by the humming-bird itself. If power of wing, rapidity of 
flight could place them in that rank, they should be considered the most 
highly organised of butterflies.” 
Among moths, modes of flight similar to those among butterflies 
may be observed. That of the hawk-moths, for instance, is surprisingly 
strong and rapid, so that the bigger of these insects, may, as they race 
about the street lights at nights, be mistaken for bats. That of the 
Syntomide is usually slow and deliberate, while that of the Pyralida and 
Noctuide is short but often very swift. The manner of flight of the 
Syntomide may be correlated with the resemblance which many of them 
hear to bees and wasps, a class of insects protected by a hard body and a 
sting, and to certain beetles which are distasteful to birds. The Uraniid 
Cydimon leilus is a very rapid flier, rivalling such swallow-tailed 
Papilios as Papilio agesilaus and Papilio thoas. It flashes by us so 
swiftly that it is gone before we quite recover from the pleasant shock 
oceasioned by having been suddenly, and perhaps unexpectedly, brought 
