of other beautiful and curious insects adorned these pleasant woods. Others were seen only in the sunshine in open places. As the waters retreated from the beach, vast numbers of sulphur-yellow and orange coloured butterflies congregated on the moist sand. The greater portion of them belonged to the genus Callidryas.[1] They assembled in densely packed masses, sometimes two or three yards in circumference, their wings all held in an upright position, so that the beach looked as though variegated with beds of crocuses. These Callidryades seem to be migratory insects, and have large powers of dissemination. During the last two days of our voyage the great numbers constantly passing over the river attracted the attention of every one on board. They all crossed in one direction, namely, from north to south, and the processions were uninterrupted from an early hour in the morning until sunset. All the individuals which resort to the margins of sandy beaches are of the male sex. The females are much more rare, and are seen only on the borders of the forest, wandering from tree to tree, and depositing their eggs on low mimosas which grow in the shade. The migrating hordes, as far as I could ascertain, are composed only of males, and on this account I believe their wanderings do not extend very far. In confirmation of this is the fact that, although the same species generally
- ↑ More than three-fourths of the individuals in these congregations of butterflies consisted of a pale sulphur-coloured species, C. Statira: two yellow kinds, C. Eubule and C. Trite, and one orange-coloured, C. Argante, were less numerous. A few of a much larger species (C. Leachiana), sulphur-coloured with orange tips to the wings, now and then occurred amidst the masses.
