THAITES. 59 



is a nearly straight continuation of the basal portion of the nervure; the outer sub- 

 costal and median nervules are twice as close at base as any of the others, and the 

 middle nervules divide the space between the first and third; the submedian ner- 

 vure is parallel to, and scarcely removed from, the inner border. 



In the pattern of their markings (PL III, fig. 3) the wings of Thaites are 

 rather simple. The fore wing is provided with four nearly equidistant, nearly 

 straight, transverse, pale stripes, depending at about right angles from the subcos- 

 tal nervure, unequal in length and width, the third from the base situated in the 

 middle of the wing; and also with a submarginal curving row of moderately large, 

 transversely ovate spots, one in each interspace opening on the outer border, ex- 

 cepting the subcosto-median and medio-submedian interspaces, all ranged in a 

 series curving more strongly than the outer border. The hind wing is nearly uni- 

 form on the basal half, but beyond is crossed by transverse, curving, dark, cloudy 

 bands, broadening on the nervures and enclosing between them roundish or trans- 

 versely ovate pale spots. 



The abdomen is stout, half as long as the hind wings, well arched, and the 

 terminal segment (of the female?) half as long as broad, the segments provided 

 with a latero-dorsal and pleural row of very small, vertically ovate, pale spots. 



This genus differs from Thais (PI. Ill, figs. 2, 4) and the other genera allied 

 to the swallow-tails in about the same degree as they do among themselves. It 

 is closely allied to Thais in most particulars ; the antennae resemble those of Thais, 

 more than they do those of other genera, if we except only Sericinus; in the 

 form of the wings it lies midway between Thais and Archon; as to neuration 

 the discoidal cell of the fore wings has the form seen in Sericinus, being broadest 

 apically, while in Parnassius (PI. Ill, fig. 5), Thais and Eurycus it is largest in the 

 middle; but it is shorter than half the length of the wing, while in Sericinus, as in 

 all the other genera, it is considerably more than half the length of the wing; the 

 tip of the cell is limited above, in most of these genera, by the vein closing the cell; 

 that is, the inferior subcostal nervule originates beyond the tip of the cell ; but in 

 Thais it originates at the tip of the cell, while in Thaites the cell is limited by the 

 inferior subcostal nervule and the vein closing the cell originates from it; in other 

 particulars of its neuration it resembles the tailed Sericinus. 



