202 



Marvels of Insect Life. 



eight inches across the fore-wings, and all the wings are of a tawny ground colour 

 on which the nervures are margined in brownish-black. A broad, irregular border 

 and several spots of black ornament the hind-wings, and the tips of the fore-wmgs 

 are broadly smoke-coloured. First brought home by Smeathman m 1782, no 

 other specimen reached Europe until 1864. 



Wallace was of opinion that the bird-winged butterflies had then- origni m New 

 Guinea, whence they have spread all over the Malay Archipelago. 



The Pellagra-Fly. 



Much has been written and said of the influence of two-winged flies in the 

 propagation of disease, and the discovery of their agency has had enormous results 

 in the matter of colonial expansion. The house-fly is instrumental m the spread 



Photo by] 



African Bird-wing Butterfly. 



[E. Step, F.T..S. 



Tliis boldly and beautifully coloured butterfly measures over seven inches across the expanded wings. The light parts of the 

 photograph are coloured a fine pale blue in the butterfly, and the dark lines and bands are black. The rather heavy black border of the 

 hind-wings is relieved by blue spots. The photograph is of the male. 



of typhoid and other troubles, the tse-tse fly carries the active agent in sleeping- 

 sickness, mosquitoes of several kinds do the same office for malaria and yellow- 

 fever, and it is highly probable that further research will reveal the connection 

 between biting flies and other diseases whose cause has baffled the medical men 

 hitherto. In this department of entomology vast strides have been made in the 

 last decade or so, owing to the endowment of special research by State aid, and the 

 generous action of philanthropists ; so that Dr. Shiple}' could fairly say in a recent 

 address to the British Association : — 



" A few years ago no knowledge could seem more useless to the practical 

 man, no research more futile, than that which sought to distinguish one 

 species of gnat or tick from another ; yet to-day they knew that that 



