(j [June, 



There appears good reason to believe, with Donovan, that the first 

 example of P. Antimachus ever known to naturalists is that described 

 and figured by Drury in 1782, in the 3rd volume of his " Illustrations 

 of Exotic Entomology." It was taken by Mr. Smeathman at Sierra 

 Leone in 1775, was purchased at the sale of his insects in 1805 by Mr. 

 Macleay, and is now generally believed to be in the Museum at 

 Sydney. 



It is regarded as some proof of the extreme rarity of this species, 

 that nearly a century elapsed before another specimen is known to 

 have reached England. This was taken at Old Calabar by Miss Diboll, 

 a missionary lady residing at Creek Town, and is now in the collection 

 of Mr. Christopher Ward, of Halifax. It is in good preservation ; 

 and expands, if I remember rightly, a little over eight inches. 



A few years later, Mr. W. C. Hewitson had the satisfaction of 

 adding to his rich collection the third known example, an account of 

 the capture of which at Gaboon appeared in this Magazine, March, 

 1874. It measures 7^ inches. Soon after, Mr. Hewitson received a 

 second specimen from the same region. It is somewhat more highly 

 coloured than the other, varies slightly in the shape of the markings 

 and spots on the wings, and expands 8| inches. 



About the same time, Mr. Thomas Chapman, of Glasgow, came 

 into possession of a specimen in rather a curious way. Learning from 

 a friend that the captain of an African trading ship had brought home 

 with him two large butterflies, he went to inspect them. He found 

 the box containing them lying open in the middle of a circle of ad- 

 miring children, one of whom had got hold of what he soon discovered 

 to be a fine Antimaclius, and was using it as a plaything ! Mr. Chap- 

 man's emotions, until he had the specimen safe in his own hands, are 

 more easily imagined than described. It is the largest example known, 

 expanding 9t(J inches. It was taken at some locality far up the 

 Gaboon river. 



Not long after, another specimen, also I believe from Gaboon, 

 came to England, and is now in Mr. Henley Grose Smith's collection. 



The next specimen of which I have any knowledge was taken by 

 the Kev. T. W. Thomson, one of the missionaries belonging to the 

 Baptist Mission Settlement at Ambas Bay, during a journey he made 

 last September through the country lying immediately to the north- 

 east of Mount Camaroons. It expands 8| inches, and is almost perfect. 

 A less perfect and rather smaller specimen was captured a few months 

 ago by a native of the hill country lying north of the Sherboro' river. 

 It measures 8^ inches. These two specimens are now in the possession 

 of Mr. F. J. Horniman. 



