THE NATURALIST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2242, 18 February 1897, Page 48

THE NATURALIST.

Migration of Butterflies. The supposed migration of butterflies is referred to by Mr Dixon in his papers (see pp. 23 and 118) on " The SeDse of Direction in Animals." The following account of what may be sometimes seen reaches us from one long resident in Honduras. Anyone who has noticed the nets full of young caterpillars so often found on the apple trees in this country in the early summer, which usually contain hundreds of the creatures, the progeny of one butterfly, may form some idea of the prolific character of the species. The vast numbers to be seen during one of the periodical migrations in the forest lands of Central America fill one with wonder Whence do they come, and whither are they bound? They travel straight on iv one direction, nothing staying their progress or deflecting their course ; over the top of the interminable forest they pass, across the sea, with the wind or against the wind, onward they go ; and where the journey ends and what its object, who can tell? Twice it has been my good fortune to witness such a migration — first, some 20 i years ago, when stationed at Belize, in British Honduras, and next, in the month of July last year, when living in the forest region

of the same colony, tome 70 miles from th( coast. On the first occasion It was in the month of June that they came. The usual steady sea breeze was blowing from the south-east, and the general direction of the flight wai from the north, over the land that forms the northern rim of the bay in whioh the town stands, so that the wind took it on the flank. The main body opposite Belize passed along the coast, over tha sea, and but few stragglers, the fringe and outskirts of the crowd, came ashore. As far as I could ascertain there was onlj one kind of butterfly in this flight, a small, pinkish-grey creature, with pearly-white enamelled Btripes on the underside of ita wings. All day long the endless procession went on its way, flying low over the sea, the topmost butterflies not being more than 40ft or 501 b above it. Looking out across the open sea, the space to that height was full of them, so that the low-lyiDg cays or mangrove islands, distant four or five miles to windward, looked blurred and indistinct through the haze of them. Towards nightfall the flight slackened gradually, and before the brief twilight was ended had ceased altogether. The next day it commenced again shortly after sunrise, and continued as -before; but that night heavy rain came off the land, and the butterflies were seen no more. The last migration, seen in July 1895, was more wonderful still, for it lasted 14 days and contained four distinct varieties — brown, white, sulphur, and orange in colour. I was at that time cutting logwood, with my headquarters at an old Indian village on the Belize R>ver, distant 11 miles from the 'ponds where the logwood grew. To bring this out to the river, by which it alone could be transported to the coast, I had cut a road some 40ft wide through the dense forest which covers all that part of the country. I had necessarily to be constantly up and down this road to look af tor my wood-cutters and cattle trucks, and during the whole of the fortnight mentioned watched the great flight pass in an endless stream overhead. The general direction tbis time was from west to east, and dead against the wind, which all the time blew steadily from the oast. How many miles the butterflies extended I cannot say, but I can vouch from my own knowledge that they swarmed all along the eleven miles of my road, and I was told by a friend that he had seen the flight some fifteen miles beyond the end of the road and a good thirty miles to the eastward of it. Of course the vastness of the migration was not so visible here as when it was seen on the open coast, for the forest growth completely shut out the view except overhead ; but there it passed in a thick and steady stream, though every now and then detachments from the main body would whirl down into the road, follow it for a short distance, or alight upon the ground for a brief rest, then, moved by the mysterious attraction that drew- them eastwards, up they rose over the lofty trees to follow their comrades in their flight towards the rising sun. I do not know whether the true cause of these migrations has ever been determined. The food of these creatures is abundant throughout the country, full as it is of flowering creepers and fragrant-blossomed trees, und I can only conjecture that the movement is impelled by some reproductive reason, and that tha butterflies are seeking ecme congacial spot where they may deposit their egg?.— E. W. W., in the Leisure Hour.

— A great many men who imagine theY are perched on the shoulders of Fame have net climbed as high as her knee. — Reasons Enough. — " Well, Richard," said the minister, meeting a parishioner, " X hae na seen ye at the kirk for some time, and wad like to know the reason." " Weel, sir,'' said Richard, " I hae three decided objections to goin'. Firstly, I dinna believe in bom' whaur yie daes a' the ralkin'; secondly, I dinna believe in sac muckle singin' ; and thirdly, an' in conclusion, 'twas there I got my wife." The minister asked no more question*.