6o 



HARD WICKE 'S S CIENCE - G O SSI P. 



unlike a footprint in sand. P. Agamemno7i exhibits 

 a singular variety : the footstalk is to one side of a 

 filiform scale, scarcely distinguishable, except under a 

 high power, from hairs. These are toothed at their 

 upper extremity. Another scale, almost peculiar to 

 the species, is diamond-shaped. It bears a close 

 resemblance to the ace of diamonds. The scales on 

 the under wing oi Parnassus Apollo are for the most 

 part leaf-shaped, but more obtuse than those o^ 

 Papilio Polydamus ; whilst certaiia scales of Pai-nassiis 

 Phixhus veiy nearly resemble those of P. Apollo. They 

 occupy different positions, — a diversity between two 

 closely-allied species worth noting, and of service in 

 the determination of specific identity. 



From the pretty little genus Thais, one of the 

 INIediterranean fauna, is obtained an elegant scale, in 

 form resembling a single flower of the Lily of the 

 Valley, and may, in future, be distinguished as the 

 "Lily-scale." F. Cassandra furnishes, besides the 

 "Lily-scale," another of an irregular shape, three- 

 pointed, elongate, and not unlike an ancient partisan 

 or halberd. Anthocaris Ettpompi (Orange-tip), of 

 Sierra Leone, furnishes us with a white scale, iiTeguIar 

 in form, and with a double footstalk : its orange 

 scales have triple footstalks, and are remark- 

 ably attractive objects under a medium power. 

 Seen in clusters on the wing, they form a brilliant 

 prismatic band of a golden hue. The scales of Pkris 

 Daplidice, although leaf-shaped, are widely cleft ; 

 while those of P. Bella afford typical examples of the 

 " battledore scale." The scales oi P. Pyrrha differ in 

 the two sexes, and are diversified in form and other 

 characters. Triangular scales, confined to the anterior 

 portion of the wings, are found in all the Callidryas, 

 and among the genus Colias the lily-shaped scale 

 prevails. A somewhat remarkable scale is found on 

 the wing of the female Colias Ediisa (it is something 

 like a phial-bottlc), and in an Indian species an arrow- 

 headed scale. A wing scale of Idea Ilestia bears a 

 striking resemblance to a fragment of sea-weed 

 (Fucus). It is triangular in form, and deeply serrated, 

 while scales taken from other portions of the wing 

 are very nearly square. Among the beautiful species 

 ArgynnidcE, a very few scales presenting variety are 

 found. One bears a resemblance to a palm-branch 

 and for this reason may be designated the "palm- 

 branch scale." 



From these cursory observations it will be seen 

 that the scales of Lepidoptera present attractive 

 variations, which furnish evidence of that beauty of 

 design tliat generally pervades the works of Nature. 



The Domestic Cat (p. 43). — The cat is men- 

 tioned in Baruch, ch. vi. (tlie Epistle of Jeremy). 

 Inver. 21, the prophet, describing the helplessness of 

 the idols in the heathen temples at Babylon, says : — 

 "Upon their bodies and heads sit bats, swallows, 

 and birds, and the cals aho." — JV. R. Tate, Bland- 

 ford. 



OUR COMMON BRITISH FOSSILS, AND 

 WHERE TO FIND THEM. 



No. IV. 

 By J. E. Taylor, F.G.S., &c. 



IV/T Y readers will have seen from the illustrations- 

 iVl accompanying the last article on this subject, 

 the strong external resemblances between the earliest 

 King-crabs, such as the Belinurus, and one genus of 

 Silurian Trilobites ( Trinucleus). The chief apparent 

 difference is in the ends of their bodies, that of the 

 King-crab being prolonged into the dart shape which 

 gives to it its generic name, whilst in the Trinucleus 

 H is round. But we have only to glance at figures of 

 various kinds of Trilobites to see that they vary 

 among themselves in this respect. Thus in Asaphus 

 caudahts (fig. 13), one of the commonest of Lower 

 Silurian Trilobites, we have the pygidium, or tail, 

 drawn out into a point. 



Fig. 48. Paradoxides Davidis. 



Undoubtedly the Trinucleus (fig. 17) is one of the 

 prettiest of Trilobites. It has a look which suggests 

 the mysterious Egyptian figures of ancient courtiers ! 

 The head or cephalic shield is much developed, and 

 on each side is prolonged into two spines half as long 

 again as the body. Like the Agnostus and several 

 others, the Trinucleus had no eyes. In this respect 

 we find the various genera of Trilobites differing very 

 much from each other. Some have a very large 

 number, as Asaphus tyrannus ; and thence we find 

 them decreasing until they are absent altogether. All 

 the genera of the order Trinucleidte, however, are not 

 eyeless ; and this illustrates the uncertainty with 



