278 PROCEEDINGS : BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
insectivorous animals pay but little attention to the colors of their 
prey ; for example, it is well known to anglers that trout and salmon 
will snap at the most gaudily colored “Hies,” which may or may not 
have any counterpart in nature. 
The whole question of warning coloration will have to be made 
the subject of an extensive research upon both old and young 
insectivorous animals before we can safely arrive at any certain con¬ 
clusions respecting it. 
II. Methods Pursued in Studying the Color-Patterns of 
THE H.ELICONIDAE. 
No comparative study of the color-patterns displayed by the 
Heliconidae has ever been made. In fact, very few such studies 
have been carried out upon any Lepidoptera. The only works I 
know of are those of Eimer (’89) and Haase (’92) upon the colora¬ 
tion of the Papilios, and of Dixey (’90) upon the wing-markings of 
certain genera of the Nymphalidae and Pieridae. The family of the 
Heliconidae with its numerous species and comparatively simple 
coloration affords an excellent opjmrtunity for such a research. 
In making this study of the Heliconidae I was permitted through 
the kindness of Mr. Samuel Henshaw to make free use of the collec¬ 
tion in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard. I also 
found the colored figures in the works of the following authors of 
great service : Hewitson (’56-’76), C. und R. Felder (’64-’67), Hfib- 
ner (’06-’25), Humboldt et Bonpland (’33), Cramer (1779-’82), Stau- 
dinger (’84-88), Godman and Salvin (’79-’86), and Menetries (’63) ; 
likewise the following shorter papers published in various serials : 
Bates (’63, ’65),Butler (’65, ’69,’69-’74, ’77), Druce (’76), Godman 
and Salvin (’80), Hewitson (’54), Snellenen van Leeuwen (’87), Srnka 
(’84, ’85), Staudinger (’82), and Weymer (’75, ’84). I was thus 
enabled to examine the color-patterns of 400 (89%) of the species 
of the Danaoid group, and of 129 (86%) of the Acraeoid group, 
either from the insects themselves or from figures given by the 
authors named above. The remaining species were either inaccessi¬ 
ble to me, or were so vaguely described as to be unavailable. A 
list of the species known to me is given in Table 28. 
(1) The Two Types of Coloration in the Danaoid Heliconidae. 
It is very remarkable that the color-patterns of all of the Heliconidae 
