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MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. 
An interesting habit of butterflies belonging to this genus was 
witnessed by one of my brothers, William Denton, in Colombia, 
South America. One day, while he was out collecting, he noticed 
several male specimens of a very handsome species fluttering about 
a bush by the roadside. These he took with his net, and was about 
to move on, when other specimens were seen approaching. In a 
short time he had several more, but still they kept coming to the 
same bush. This excited his curiosity, and upon carefully exam¬ 
ining the bush he discovered a number of chrysalides of the female 
of this species upon it, the butterflies within being plainly visible 
and almost ready to burst their shells. The males were already 
assembling to welcome the females on their emerging from their 
chrysalides. 
Heliconia eliaritonia is our only native species of this genus, but 
it is a handsome insect, as one may see by reference to the plate. 
This butterfly is abundantly found in Mexico and Central America, 
and occasionally it may be seen in numbers in southern Florida, 
where it flies lazily in the hot sunshine. Like the different species 
of Agraulis , the larva of this insect feeds on the passion vine. 
Two beautiful insects belonging to the genus Eumenes inhabit 
the extreme southern portion of our country. 
Eumeuia atala. 
Eumenia atala is a common insect in southern Florida early in 
February, where it may sometimes be seen bv dozens clustered on 
the flowering plants. It is usually very abundant near Miami in 
that state. The wings of this insect are black with streaks of 
metallic green or blue below the upper margin of the upper pair, 
