URANIA SLOANUS. 
71 
long used as a pasture) well-grown and spreading; 
others (which had been spared in the recent clearing) 
slender, tall and branchless trunks, with a little tuft 
of foliage at the extremity. In an excursion to the 
mountain at this period, I observed UranicR fluttering 
around these trees, soon after sunrise ; some half a 
dozen round each tree, and others very high in the 
air, dashing along in a headlong manner over the 
loftiest trees. They chiefly affected a very lofty 
isolated tree, and hence were with difficulty captured. 
Anxious to know at what time they began to be 
active, I ascended the mountain by starlight, cheered 
on my way by the rich gushes of melody from that 
worthy rival of the Nightingale, the Mocking-bird. 
I first saw Urania as the sun was rising. 
But about three weeks later than this, viz. in the 
first week of April, I had much better opportunities 
of observing this magnificent insect at my very door. 
For it then began suddenly to be numerous at early 
day about the Pear-trees around Bluefields House. 
Stationing myself under these trees in the morning 
twilight, I found that a little before sunrise the 
UranicB begin to appear. At first they come slowly^ 
one by one ; but about the time that the glowing 
sky over the mountain betokens the march of the 
advancing sun, they are fluttering in scores round 
the trees, sucking the blossoms. They are not here 
nearly so difficult of capture ; on the first morning 
I secured in about an hour fifteen good specimens, 
besides several which I rejected ; and I might have 
caught twice that number, but I abstained from 
molesting those which I saw to be imperfect. This 
