5558 Natural-History Collectors. 



together with my brother's, in January. In the present collection there 

 are 158 specimens of Micro-Lepidoptera, collected without giving any 

 close attention to them, and whilst hunting for birds with a double- 

 barrel gun slung at my left shoulder ; to do much in them I must know 

 something about them : there need not be any doubt amongst our 

 friends that Micro-Lepidoptera are very numerous in this country, — 

 in fact, there must be several thousand species of Tineina and Tortri- 

 cina, to judge from the proportion of species to the butterflies that I 

 see in a day's ramble; the Amazonian butterflies known must number 

 now thirteen or fourteen hundred : now Mr. Stainton may calculate, — 

 from the proportion known in England between Micros and English 

 butterflies find the correspondent number to the known number of 

 Amazonian butterflies, — but to collect them perfect is extremely diffi- 

 cult, and probably will not be thought worth while. I am sorry I have 

 no better specimens yet to send of the pale Morpho and the Agrias; the 

 Morpho was rather abundant in April, but rarely descended from its 

 height of twenty feet ; there is another species that I expect is the 

 same as I sent one of from Para, viz. M. Adonis, which never descended 

 from that elevation ; the female of this latter I saw also, — it is orange ; 

 the female of the present blue one is a pale lavender colour, and ap- 

 parently variegated with still paler colours, but I have found it impos- 

 sible to capture it, — in fact, have only seen two individuals ; there is 

 yet a third species of these Morphos, which I have never captured : of 

 the Agrias sent I have seen only five specimens, but have now cap- 

 tured another, very much more beautiful than this one, something 

 like the A. Anydon of Hewitson, but much more crirqson in fore 

 wings, and hind wings all blue, beneath much more variegated : I have 

 seen three individuals altogether of this. The Zeonia sent I found 

 a brood of: it must be noted that the pupa-skins sent are bound by a 

 silken thread across the body, as I see it breaks, from extreme fineness, 

 on the leaf contracting. There are two pairs on card of the worker of 

 a new form of ant for Mr. Smith's consideration ; I have the winged 

 female of a different species; they are all extremely rare; the neura- 

 tion of the female is unlike any Myrmicidse or Scoliidae I have seen. 

 If I do not find another winged female or male by next collection, I 

 will send a sketch to Mr. Smith : I consider it a very remarkable dis- 

 covery. I am very glad indeed to hear that the second part of White's 

 1 Catalogue of Longicoms' is on the road to me. Please look out for 

 all cheap books which would be useful to me : is not the concluding 

 volume of Boheman's 'Cassidce' out yet? 



" Ega, September 26. I was ready to go up river by the steamer ; 

 but it was so full and the time so short, I was disappointed : I go in 



