84 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
which about 8,000 were entirely new to science. The habits of the animals 
examined have been closely watched. It has been often asserted that 
certain species of Mygale were addicted to the destruction of the smaller 
birds, but the statements made, required confirmation : this has now been 
given by Mr. Bates, who writes : — “ In the course of my walk I chanced 
to verify a fact relating to the habits of a large hairy spider of the genus 
Mygale, in a manner worth recording. The species was M . avicularia 
or one very closely allied to it. The individual was nearly two inches in 
length of body, but the legs expanded seven inches, and the entire body 
and legs were covered with coarse grey and reddish hairs. I was attracted 
by a movement of the monster on a tree trunk ; it was close beneath a 
deep crevice in the tree, across which was stretched a dense white web. 
The lower part of the web was broken, and two small birds, finches, were 
entangled in the pieces, they were about the size of an English siskin , 
and I judged the two to be male and female. One of them was quite dead, 
the other lay under the body of the spider not quite dead, and was smeared 
with the filthy liquor or saliva exuded by the monster.’’ Gastronomic 
science too has not been neglected by our author. On one occasion having 
exhausted his supply of fowls, and being unwilling to eat the stale and 
stringy salt fish of Caripi, his Servant provided him with a dish of ant- 
eaters’ flesh, which he thus describes : — “ The meat was stewed and turned 
out very good, something like goose in flavour. The people in Caripi 
would not touch a morsel, saying that it was not considered fit to eat in 
these parts ; I had read, however, that it was an article of food in other 
countries of South America.” The resemblance of certain invertebrate 
animals to birds, is also indicated, and is illustrated by allusion to the 
humming-bird moth, which simulates so well the bird after which it is 
named, that, as Mr. Bates remarks, “ the natives firmly believe that one 
is transmutable into the other.” By far the most important portion of this 
volume is that which relates to the localization of certain lepidopterous 
species, which have been carefully investigated by the author. Treating 
of Heliconins melpomene , he writes, “ This elegant form is found through- 
out Guiana, Venezuela, and some parts of New Granada. It is very 
common at Obydos, and reappears on the south side of the river in the 
dry forests behind Santarem, at the mouth of the Tapajos. In all other 
parts of the Amazons valley it is entirely absent Another and 
nearly allied species, however, takes its place in the forest plains, namely, 
the H. thelxiope of Hiibner.” These two species are of the same size, and 
have exactly the same habits; but the H. melpomene is simply black 
with a large crimson spot on its wings, whilst the other is rayed with 
black and crimson, and possesses yellow spots in addition. “ There are, 
as might be supposed, districts of forest intermediate in character between 
the drier areas of Obydos, &c., and the moister tracks which compose the 
rest of the immense river valley. At two places in these intermediate 
districts, namely, Serpa, 180 miles west of Obydos, and Aveyros, on the 
lower Tapajos, most of the individuals of these Heliconii which occurred 
were transition forms , between the two species .” A very plausible objection 
might be offered as to the real specific character of these forms, to the 
effect that they were mere hybrids of the two known species ; but Mr. 
