554 INSECTS ABROAD. 



this is a large insect, the female measuring fully five inches in 

 spread of wing, the figure has been necessarily diminished 

 nearly one-half. 



Above, the upper wings are deep black, speckled profusely 

 with gold-green dots that look just as if emerald-dust had been 

 sprinkled regularly over them. The magnifying glass soon 

 shows that each of these green specks is a single green scale. 

 Across the middle of the wing runs a narrow golden yellow 

 bar, interrupted by the nervures, which retain their black hue, 

 and break up the bar into a succession of contiguous yellow 

 spots. 



The under wings are much more complicated in colouring. 

 At the base is a large triangular patch of the same green- 

 speckled black as that of the upper wings, and just below the 

 black is an irregularly shaped patch which is entirely emerald- 

 green, being composed of the same scales as those which have 

 been mentioned as sprinkled over the black. In certain lights 

 the green is seen to be glossed with purple and blue. Below 

 the green, the speckled black again makes its appearance, and 

 at the anal angle there is a large eye-like spot of purple with a 

 black centre. 



Beneath, the upper wings are black, sprinkled with white 

 instead of green specks, and is crossed by a broad white bar. 

 The under wings are curiously coloured. At the edge runs a 

 row of white crescentic marks, edged above with dun. Then 

 comes a black space, and then is a crescent of purple. Another 

 black space intervenes, and aliove the purple is a white crescent, 

 speckled with black. 



The fine insect which is here shown bears at first sight a 

 curious resemblance to our own Swallow-tail Butterfly, and 

 almost looks like an exceptionally fine specimen of that insect. 

 Above, the whole of the surface of the upper wings is yellow, 

 with a slight orange tinge, and diversified with black markings 

 as shown in the illustration. The yellow has rather a coarse 

 aspect, the microscope showing this effect to be produced by the 

 large size of the scales, which are squared at their tips. 



The under wings are also yellow, but have a series of red 

 crescent-shaped marks running round the margin. Near the 

 inner edge is a small semilunar mark of red, above which is a 



