28 HAU.STELLATA. LKPIDOPTKRA. 



• tuberculated, sometimes downy and bimucronate behind : pupa angulated, 



not fastened transversely. 



It has been justly observed by Mr. Swainson, that the insects of 

 this family are conspicuous for their strength of body, rapidity of 

 flight, superiority of size, and brilliancy of colouring ; but these 

 perfections are counterbalanced by the imbecility of their anterior 

 legs, M'liich are generally destitute of claws, and frequently so short 

 as to be perfectly useless. In proof of these observations it will be 

 sufficient to notice the powerful and daring evolutions of the beau- 

 tiful Vanessa? and Argynni, the graceful flight of the Limenites, or 

 the splendid iridescence of the " imperial purple plumes" of the 

 Apaturse, among the indigenous species. 



The genera may be known by the following concise definitions : 



f brevissimi : . . 8. Nemeobius. 



/■ nudi : Palpi < -i • • • rv n r 



. . , , i i „;* 1 -^ , piloSlSSimi : 9. 3lELITi«;A. 



Aiitenna abrupte % (^capite longius, C ^ 



clavatiB : Ociill , ' inferlorr.i < 



clavatss: Octill J inferlorcs 



i pubescentes: , . ^ ^^'^ h'^^"*' = [O- Argynnis. 



V. Alceantica-^''^^^^^^'- • ' '^ Vanessa. 



^ baud angulatas : . 12. Cynthia. 



, 4„ .X 1 ^- r ^■^ f-, T S nudi: . 13. Avatura. 



Antenncc extrorsum srradatiiri I recta : Oculi ; , -, t t 



• ° 1 ^ ) t pubescentes: 14. Ijimenitis. 



crassiores, clava< ^ 



(^ plus minusve arcuata : . 15. Hipparchia. 



Genus VIII. — Nemeobius*. 



Palpi horizontalj very short;, hairy, three-jointed, basal joint minute, short, 

 stouter than the following, which is elongate, nearly cylindric, a little curved 

 at the base, terminal joint truncate-conic, nearly half as long as the second : 

 anteniiw terminated by a short compressed club : anterior wings short, tri- 

 angular; posterior suborbicular, denticulated: a?(^e?7'or /e."-* imperfect, very 

 hairy, in the male short, resembling the others in the female: tarsi with 

 minute, simple claws : posterior tibice without spurs Larva and chrysalis 

 unknown. 



It is surprising that the advocates for closely subdividing insects 

 into genera agreeably to their structure, should have permitted the 

 present anomalous genus to remain associated with Melitaa, Fabr. 

 its prima facie appearance being so totally unlike the individuals of 

 that genus, and its structure not only remarkably different from 

 that of the other Fritillaries, as they are termed, but in many re- 

 spects at variance with the characters of the family, as instanced in 

 the simplicity of the claws and posterior tibise. Its extremely short 

 palpi, and the difi'erent neuration and brevity of the wings, suffi- 

 ciently point out the present genus from the two following. 



* N£,«of, iieinus! ; ftou', vivo. 



