I 



58 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



meet the eye in every direction, varying from a silvery green to the deepest purple ; 

 and the whole surface glittering with the resplendence of highly polished metal. 



This splendid species was long confused with Papilio Menelans of Linnasus, the 

 authors of the Encyclopedie Methodique, however, cleared up the confusion, proving 

 them to be quite distinct. The species, and indeed the entire group to which it belongs, 

 are, however, natives of South America. Sulzer, indeed, states that his specimen came 

 from China, and evidently on this authority Donovan introduced the species into this 

 work. 



Then Laxa (Bohea, or broad-leaved Tea), is figured in the plate. Sir G. Staunton 

 says, the bohea tea is supplied in China from the province of Fochen : the green tea from 

 Kiang-nan. The leaves of these teas vary in some degree in form according to the age 

 of the plant ; those of the bohea are the broadest ; Thea stricta has much longer leaves, 

 they are lanceolated, and more deeply serrated than those of the bohea. Many authors 

 have considered them varieties of the same species. It flowers in England in August and 

 September. 



ACRiEA VESTA. 



Plate 30. fig. 1. 



Family. Heliconiid^, Swainson. 



Genus. Acr;ea, Fabricius. (Heliconia p. Fabricius olim.) 



Cii. Sp. a. alls oblongis integerrimis, utrinque corticinis ; omnium supra limbo posteriori 

 fusco serieque punctomm interrupto. Expans. alar. 2| unc. 

 A. with the wing-s oblong and entire, of a pale yellow brown ; with a dark brown 

 border in which are white spots. Expanse of the wings 2| inches. 



Syn. Papilio (Helic.) Vesta, Jones. Fabr. Ent. Syst. 3. 1. p. 163. Enc. Meth. IX. p. 



233. 

 Papilio Terpsichore, Cramer Pap. pi. 298. f. A. B. C. 



Papilio Vesta is the only insect of the Heliconii division of Butterflies described by 

 Fabricius as peculiar to China, in his E//t. Syst., the majority being inhabitants of Africa. 

 It is a rare species. The Papilio Vesta of Cramer is a very different insect, being the 

 P. Erato of Fabricius. 



