318 ME. P. H. GOSSE ON THE CLASPING-OEGANS 



valve, narrowing as it proceeds. Here another wide branch is united to it, or it may he 

 considered as a descending piece, since it has no affixed hase ; it skirts the dorsal margin. 

 The nnion of the two pieces seems perfect, though the substance of the secondary piece 

 becomes exceedingly attenuate there. Abroad space, well defined, occupying the middle 

 of the valve, is likewise so exceedingly attenuate, that it is only when we lift the harpe 

 out of the valve, that we perceive, by the continuity of the plate, that this median region 

 is chitinous at all. The extremity of this compound harpe runs to a sharp point, and 

 is notched into four teeth, of which the two on the dorsal side are double. But the 

 arrangement and form of the teeth are not quite constant. 



The uncus is slender, abruptly bent near the base, thence straight but oblique, to the 

 terminal hook. A small scaphiwm, with difficulty recognizable, was (in one example) 

 attached, very closely appressed to its inferior surface, through its length ; the proper 

 " double tooth " on each side was represented by a close-lying horizontal spine, dark, 

 polished. But, in two other examples, the scaphium was wholly absent, or apparent only 

 as a minute amorphous rag of white flesh ; while, from the middle of the uncus, descended 

 vertically a divaricating fork of two spines, organically (as it seemed) jointed to the two 

 sides of the uncus. In each case these depending spines were the outer margins of veils 

 of pellucid white flesh ; and in one case they inclosed white matter, which appeared 

 identical with the pulpy substance of which I have already spoken. For here, again, 

 the penis, which was much distended, had its interior filled, to overflowing, with the 

 shining white substance, which not only occupied its whole gaping orifice, but was carried, 

 as a great ball, upon its extremity. 



In another example the penis was very large (see fig. 21), diminishing to the extremity, 

 which was furnished with a hooked, slender finger-point ; the outer chitinous integument 

 was split through all the length of the organ that was visible ; and (what seemed note- 

 Avorthy) laterally and asymmetrically; so that a wide, gaping slit, obliquely, along the 

 side, looked as if the integument had been violently burst by distension within. As if 

 to confirm this conclusion, the tube appeared perfectly empty ; my eye, with the aid of 

 sunlight, could penetrate through the hiant cleft, far up into the interior, and all round ; 

 but could not detect a trace of what sometimes is so prominent, the second tissue ; no- 

 thing at all, but the thin, transparent, gall-yellow, tubular wall of chitine. 



We have surely much to learn yet about these obscure organs, and their functions ! 



Papilio Euryleox, Hewits. (A. D.) (Plate XXXI. figs. 25, 20.) 

 Valve nearly semiovate, narrowly fringed ; the cavity bounded by a marginal shelf, 

 which runs up the ventral side, and a little way round the extremity. 



The harpe has much resemblance to that of P. Anchisiades. It is a rather narrow, 

 parallel-sided, thin, concave plate, both sides of which are bent round dorsally ; and the 

 sharp tooth-like points, which in my examples were seven in number, are almost all on 

 the ventral edge, extending from the tip about halfway down. All are overcurvcd, hard, 

 and horny ; the lowest by far the largest. In removing the valve from its attachment, 

 the expanded tissue by which the harpe had been affixed to the basal knob, occasionally 

 so conspicuous at the bottom of the abdominal cavity, came away uninjured ; and when 



