258 Heliconid^. INSECTS. Acr^id.e. 
neighbourhood of Thirsty Sound on the 29th of May, 
1770, when he mentions that his party found a space 
of three or four acres covered by millions of them 
on the wing, and they noticed that every twig and 
branch were loaded with almost equal numbers at rest. 
A species of this genus, with its characteristic brownish 
red hue and black markings, is represented on some 
Egyptian wall paintings in the British Museum. The 
same species is still abundant in Egypt and in the 
Mediterranean district. 
The species of Hestia are butterflies of a large size, 
with semitransparent whitish wings of rather delicate 
texture, with the nervules and numerous spots on or 
between the nervures and nervules and on the outer 
margin, and sometimes the margin, black. Mr. Arthur 
Adams observed a species of this genus, Hestia Leuconoe, 
on the Madjico Sima islands; and says that it flies 
slowly over the tops of the bushes and is easily taken. 
Family— HELICONID^. 
The family {Heliconidce) is a very extensive one, 
which maybe said to be peculiarly American. They have 
elongated front wings generally much rounded exter- 
nally, their hind wings are narrow, and they have the 
costal margin almost double the length of the abdominal, 
while the latter margin has no fold to form a channel 
for the reception of the abdomen. The abdomen is 
elongated, is always as long as the wings, and sometimes 
longer. The antennae are long and gradually clavate, 
and the palpi are widely .separated at the base and not 
convergent. Little seems to be known of their larvae; 
the pupa is smooth and is suspended by the tail. 
Lacordaire says that those species with white spots 
on a black or bluish ground (as Hecate, Sappho, and 
Aniiocha), only live in the forests of Surinam. They 
fly in a free and easy manner, and do not rise high. 
The most common species are those with red or yellow 
spots on the upper wings and with no radiating marks 
on the lower, as Melpomene, Sara, Thamar, and others. 
They live in the neighbourhood of habitations and have 
a hold undulating flight, rarely proceed in a straight 
course, and yet are easily captured. Some which have 
yellow or red spots on the fore wings and red or ful- 
vous raj s on the second (as Doris, Erato, Cynisca, and 
others), are found only in the woods. They do not rise 
high above the ground, and they fly quickly with a 
sailing and sometimes with a bounding flight. The 
species in which yellow predominates, mixed with black, 
such as Eva, Egina, Polymnia, &c., for the most part 
frequent woods. Those with very narrow wings and 
elongated abdomen have an unequal jumping flight and 
often alight in great numbers on flowers, when they are 
easily captured. Others in which the wings are not so 
long, and the abdomen extends but little beyond the hind 
wings, have a rapid unequal flight. Lacordaire has 
often seen them rise suddenly into the air and then im- 
mediately descend, without ever sailing with expanded 
wings. He found them in consequence difficult to 
capture. The species with more or less transparent 
wings {Ithomia, &c.), such as Niscea, Flora, QSgle, 
Diaphana, Gazoria, &c., remain constantly in the 
deepest forests among the bushes, where they fly slowly 
within two or three feet of the ground, alighting every 
minute on the ground. They are social in their habits, 
being generally found united in little societies more or 
less numerous. 
On Plate 9 are figured two Heliconice from Mr. 
Hewitson’s works, where so many of the group have 
been so carefully and beautifully illustrated. Plate 9 
fig. 4 shows the Heliconia Hermathena, and fig. 5 
Heliconia HecaJtesia. That observer refers to the 
peculiar gland or appendage wdiich these insects have 
at the end of the abdomen. It is concealed between 
the valves of the anus, but is capable of being pro- 
truded. In the Lycorea Halia this gland takes the 
form of a radiating tuft of hairs, which form, when 
exserted, two feathered globes at the end of the abdo- 
men. In another species allied to Heliconia Erytlircea, 
this gland is much developed. It is in the shape of 
small fleshy balls of an orange colour. Mr. Wallace 
adds that, when the insect is captured, these balls are 
always exserted, and they give out a peculiar penetrating 
aromatic odour which somewhat resembles the smell 
of chamomile. 
One of the first butterflies to attract the notice of 
the naturalist in Jamaica is the Heliconia Charitonia. 
Its beauty and singularity of form, the great length 
and little breadth of the wings, the length and slen- 
derness of the body, and the brilliant contrasts of 
colour, lemon-yellow and velvety black, together with 
the very peculiar flapping of the wings in flight, as if 
their length rendered them somewhat unwieldy, excite 
a sensation of delighted surprise. 
Family— ACRHMDiE. 
The family Acraudaj,* so named from the genus 
Acrcea, is regarded as closely allied to the Heliconida, 
but may be at once distinguished from that family by 
the insects in it having short, abruptly clavate antennae ; 
and from the next family it may he known by its poste- 
rior wings, the inner margins of which do not form a 
channel to receive the abdomen. The wings in many 
of the species are semitransparent ; the larvae have 
much resemblance to those of Argynnis, being cylin- 
drical and spiny; the spines are long and set with 
little whorls of hairs or more delicate spines. The 
pupae in some of them are furnished with a.few spines. 
The perfect insects are not by any means showy, 
though there is a liveliness about one or two of the 
African species which is very pleasing. These insects 
resemble the Heliconidae in many particulars, and like 
them frequent the open parts of woods, and also the 
shady parts, where a ray of sunshine that has pierced 
through openings in the dense foliage of the trees shines 
on the scanty undergrowth of low shrubs or herbage. 
The flight of the species is described as being rather 
slow and feeble. The metropolis of this family or 
sub-family is Africa, particularly in the western parts, 
such as Sierra Leone. In Asia there are two species 
only as yet known. 
' Doubleday : Gen. Diurn. Lep., p. 138. 
