290 
WEST INDIES AND SOUTH AMERICA 
I call especial attention to the number of species in which 
Jamaican examples differ from Venezuelan in the replacement of 
black or grey by fulvous, or orange-brown. [Compare the Arctiid 
moth, Ammelo insulata.] It is true that the soil of Jamaica, even 
where the formation is white coralline limestone, is often of an 
orange-brown colour, but it scarcely seems possible to connect the 
two as cause and effect. It is just such differences as these, occurring 
in different families, and not complicated by any possibility of 
mimicry, which seem to me to afford good evidence of the effect of 
environment, 1 although we may at present be quite unable to 
explain it. 
Many facts as to the scents of Jamaican butterflies, and other 
Bionomic points will be found in Chapter X. 
JAMAICAN MOTHS. 
I did not come across many moths by day, though a fair number 
visited the hotel lights at night, when it was noticed that they often 
sat quietly on brilliantly illuminated walls or blinds, in preference to 
going near the lamps themselves. Unless otherwise specially stated 
it may be assumed that all the moths in the following list were 
victims of the fatal attraction of light. 
Syntomidae. — Cosmosoma achemon,~F abr. Two: Mackfield,Montego 
Bay. A common West Indian species. —Empyreuma pugione, Linn. 
One: Walderston. A very Zygaena-like form. 
Arctiidae.— Utetheisa bella , Linn., sub sp. venusta , Dalm. ( speciosa , 
Walk.). Common: Constant Spring, Montego Bay, Spanish Town 
(at light), Port Antonio. As its several names imply this is an even 
more beautiful moth than the European species; it was usually seen 
flying by day, both in the sun and at dusk, or was kicked up from long 
grass, like a Or ambus.—Ammelo insulata , Walk. Common : Con¬ 
stant Spring, Montego Bay, Walderston. Jamaican specimens are 
yellower than Venezuelan; A. helops , Cram. ( Halosidota chrysogaster, 
Walk.). Two : Mandeville, Montego Bay.— Are marginata , Drury. 
Two males and one female : Mandeville, Ramble, Mackfield.— Auto- 
molis delicata , Moschl. A single specimen of this very beautiful 
insect came to light at Constant Spring; it well deserves its name; 
as the British Museum possesses but three specimens, all from 
Jamaica, it is presumably not common.— Ecpantheria nigriplaga , 
1 The insects referred to are still kept together just as they were exhibited at the 
Darwin Celebration at the Linnean Society, and may be seen in the Hope Depart¬ 
ment of the Oxford University Museum. 
