Correspondence of Mr. Bates. 2965 



Extracts from the Correspondence of Mr. H. W. Bates, now forming 

 Entomological Collections in South America. 



(Continued from page 2944). 



" Ega, Upper Amazons, 

 June 15th, 1850. 



" The above [viz. 347 Lepidoptera, 497 Coleoptera, and 92 

 various] is the result of my labours so far in this new locality ; I 

 wrote to you (with collections) from Barra de Rio Negro by a vessel 

 which sailed from thence on the 26th of March, informing you 

 of my poor success hitherto in the interior (which you will see by the 

 collections sent), by which letter you would learn that I was about 

 ascending to this place. The voyage was horrible, worse than any 

 expectation with experience of Amazon voyages that could have been 

 formed. I embarked at Barra on the 26th of March, and arrived here 

 on the 1st of May (thirty-five days) against furious currents, head 

 winds, almost incessant rain, and amidst swarms of insect pests. I 

 am glad to say this station is likely to prove a good one ; hitherto the 

 weather has been unfavourable to operations in the woods, being still 

 the wet season, and the forest moist and cold ; I have not been able 

 to work more than twenty-five days out of forty-five. I have taken 

 more than forty conspicuous new Diurnes, besides a great number of 

 Coleoptera I have not seen anywhere else. Shells there are scarcely 

 any, in fact, the whole valley of the Amazons may be set down as 

 poor in shells ; but in birds I shall be able to do something, as many 

 of the rare Rio Negro species are more abundant here than there ; 

 but it is necessary to have time and patience, as the hunters here, on 

 whom you are obliged to depend, are very slow, and I cannot employ 

 any constantly until I receive more funds from below. I intend to 

 stay here four or five months ; at present I have not done a fourth 

 part of what there is to do in the insects, and 1 am convinced the lo- 

 cality is as rich in Diurnes as Para, and far more rich in Coleoptera. 

 I send no private collection, therefore the unique specimens remain 

 with me. In the collection I send, you will find three new (to me) 

 species of Papilio, one with silky-green spot on the fore wings and 

 crimson on the hind wings, extremely beautiful ; two other new spe- 

 cies remain with me at present, being unique, one of them is very ex- 

 traordinary, having exactly the form and style of marking of the Heli- 

 viii. 2 u 



