1863.] MR. H. W, BATES ON BUTTERFLIES FROM PANAMA. 239 



scouts are set upon and puuished if any mistake is committed by 

 them. 



" The two sent by my son were hunted down by the blacks with 

 dogs, and killed with sticks. 



" I remain, with consideration, 

 " Dear Sir, 



" Your most obedient Servant, 



"L. A. MONTEIRO." 



" Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S:' 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On a Collection of Butterflies brought by Messrs. 

 Salvin and Godman from Panama, with Remarks on 

 Geographical Distribution, By H. W. Bates. 



(Plate XXIX.) 



Besides the rich ornithological and herpetological booty obtained 

 by Messrs. Salvin and Godman during their recent tour in Central 

 America, a large collection of Butterflies was made in diiferent parts, 

 chiefly, however, on the Atlantic and Pacific sides and in the central 

 valleys of Guatemala. Having always a philosophic aim, these gen- 

 tlemen were careful to keep the collections made in difi^erent districts 

 separate, and also to note the vertical and horizontal ranges of the 

 species : the gathered material, therefore, gives promise of furnishing 

 important data in illustration of various questions connected vfith 

 geographical distribution, such as the range of closely allied species 

 and varieties and its dependence or not on physical barriers, the re- 

 lations of the fauna to those of other neotropical regions, and so 

 forth — questions which insects, and especially liutterflies, seem well 

 adapted to illustrate. I hope to be able, with the permission of 

 Messrs. Salvin and Godman, to examine and report upon the results 

 of their entomological labours, devoting a paper to the collections of 

 each district. The present notice is confined to a separate small 

 collection obtained on the Isthmus of Panama, in the low forest- 

 country situated about ten miles from the railway terminus on the 

 Gulf of Mexico. 



Although the Panama collection contains but thirty-one species 

 (seventy- six specimens), it is very interesting as showing the close 

 relation of the fauna to that of New Granada, and as adding to the 

 proof that this north-western part of South America constitutes quite 

 a distinct province as far as its land-fauna goes, having a considerable 

 proportion of species peculiar to itself and a general specific dissimi- 

 larity from the adjoining region of Guiana (or the Guiano-Amazonian 

 province), to which it has hitherto been united*. My own nearly 

 complete collection of the species inhabiting the plains of the Ama- 

 zons enables us to arrive at a tolerably accurate conclusion on this 

 point. 



* Woodward's ' Recent and Fossil Shells,' map. 



