316 
WEST INDIES AND SOUTH AMEEICA 
thrasybulus, Eabr.; Chiomara gesta (the three species last named all 
curve the fore-wings downwards like our Thanaos tages, Linn.); the 
conspicuous black and red Pyrrhopyge charybdis, Dbl. & H.; the 
large grey Larentia-Y\ke Mylon zephus, Butl.; the black Gogia calchas, 
H.-Schaff.; Epeus veleda, Godm. & S.; Mnestheus itona, Butl.; 
Pellicia sp. (prop, bromio, Mabille, teste, H. H. Druce); P. dimidiata, 
Plotz (didia, Moschl.); Metron leucogaster, Butl.; Megistias telata, 
H.-Schaff.; Methionopsis ina, Plotz (modesties, Godm. & S.), with a 
curiously long proboscis; Tliymelicus dares, Plotz; and Niconiades 
merenda, Mabille. But the most attractive of the group was the black 
Carystus coryna, Hew., with its brilliant silver-washed underside; 
the only specimen seen—-just where the upper water-course leaves 
the stream—was settled upon a mass of silvery-white micaceous shale, 
which shone in the sunlight with the same metallic lustre as the 
butterfly. Possibly the result of mere chance, this is certainly the most 
remarkable instance of cryptic colouring that I have happened upon. 
A few day-flying Moths taken in the same locality must be 
mentioned; single specimens of each occurred. The Arabia- like 
Syntomid Gtenucha venosa, Walk., at the flowers of a white Com¬ 
posite ; another Syntomid, more Zygaena-like, was Macrocneme maja, 
Eabr., found in the bed of the stream, apparently drinking; the 
black Geometer with a creamy-white transverse bar across the fore¬ 
wings, PJphialtias tryma, Schaus; Heterusia atalantata, Guen.; the 
black, orange-striped Geometer, Josiomorpha cruciata, Butl., which 
proved tenacious of life; and the transparent, sea-green Pyrale, 
Theages vestalis, Schaus. 
The most attractive flowers were two shrubs of the Natural Order 
Gompositae ; one of these, with racemes of white flowers, was especially 
attractive to bees, another, with purple flowers, I take to have been 
Vernonia scorpioides. Then there was a Hyptis of sorts, and of 
course Lantana. 
The commonest Bee was Melipona capitata, Smith; I also met 
with M. amalthea, Fabr., and another species of the genus not yet 
named; then there was an Augochlora and a Nectarina ; I took two 
specimens of a Megachile represented in the National Collection, but 
nameless. The only Honey-bees were of the mellifica form, and were 
captured on the small white flowers of a Papilionaceous shrub. The 
Bumble-bees had a handsome representative in Bombus violaceus, 
Lepel., which almost rivals Xylocopa in size and colour; it was quite 
common. The only Carpenter-bee was Xylocopa aeneipennis, De Geer, 
and I took but one of that. In the big barranco near the cemetery I 
took at flowers a single example of the brilliant metallic-green Bee, 
