Insects, 4'C'j of Surinam, 369 



outline of the larva, are against its admission into these groups. 

 The plant appears to be a weed which adorns our ditches 

 with its pretty sulphur blossoms. 



Plate 40. The small larva, cocoon, and moth refer to a 

 species which, from their rudeness, it is, of course, impossible 

 to determine. The other three figures illustrate the small 

 Papilio caricae Fabr, 155. Gmel. 2354?., whose larva has 

 curious elongate hair-shaped processes. The sketch of the 

 variety of the }>apay (Carica Papaya L.), with rounded fruit, 

 is very bad indeed. It is one of those giant vegetables to 

 which justice cannot be done on paper of limited dimensions, 

 and without the aid of a scientific draughtsman. The fruit is 

 sweet when ripe, though litde valued. When green, it is 

 boiled as apple sauce, being mixed up with lime juice and 

 sugar. Thus prepared, it is impossible to detect the im- 

 position. 



Plate 41. The plants are the Indian shot (Canna in- 

 dica L.) supporting the red-rooted variety of the sweet 

 potato (Convolvulus Batatas L.), The round black seeds 

 of the former serve, at a small distance, for shot. The flowers 

 are pretty ; but the fast-spreading roots are difficult to era- 

 dicate when once established. The tubers of the latter, when 

 mealy, are a sweet but delicious vegetable, either boiled or 

 fried in slices. The insect figures are all worthless. The 

 more curious larva has strange globular hairy processes, and 

 the cocoon belongs to it. The large figure is the Lygae^us 

 Merian^ Fabr. 3., with the antennae broken. Every boy 

 entomologist will perceive it could have no connection with 

 the larva just noticed, as Madame Merian assei'ts it had. 

 The upper moth seems one of the Botydae common on our 

 plants of the gourd family, whose leaves it often wholly 

 destroys. From its large anal tuft of scales, I have lately 

 referred it to a subgenus, which I have called Phakelliira. 



Plate 42. The plant is the musk ochro (il/ibiscus Abel- 

 moschus L.). The seed-vessel has a musky odour, and pro- 

 duces seeds which are strung into necklaces by the ladies. 

 The six entomological figures are vile and useless. 



Platens, has four figures of Papilio Protesilau5 Fabr. 69., 

 Gmel, 2243. The larva, though black, is rendered interest- 

 ing by the many ramulose, and the two stellated, processes. 

 The wild fruit Madame Merian represents as eatable. The 

 berried creeper and young Tillands/a are parasites. 



Plate 44. — In the lower part of the plate are three figures 



of Hesperia bixae Fabr. 307., Pap. Grnel, 2367. The larva 



is not only covered with pilose fascicles, but the pupa also. 



This is a rare circumstance among the Lepidoptera, though 



Vol. VII. — No. 40. b b 



