FAMiTA* papimonid.t:. 107 



a ilillusi'il nil mlmhi : ;i M'rirs nf silvery lilacinc subniiirf,^!!;!! s]iiitti towiirds cinl nf luTvurcs ; hindwings 

 with twci silver-cfiitrvd riiij!-s|Kits iit cml of cell upon a hroad obliiiue imrplisii bniul uikI flurrouiKled liy 

 a eireular series of l)road lilacinu spots ; cuiitml inturno-mediaii area densely ilTiinited with n;ddish 

 scales : subniargiiml 8j)ot« in frontwings. 



I have exuuiined specimens from tlie following localities — ^, §, Brazil, IJ.M. and Coll. Dnice ; 

 <i , Coll. .Saunders ; Uio Janeiro, Coll. Salvin ; Kio Crande, Coil. Saunders; (J, Demerara (limref), B.M. ; 

 $. Cayenne, Coll. Hewit.stjn ; (J, $, Para {J. P. G. Smith), B.M. ; cJ. Santarem, Coll. AVallace ; (J, 

 rcayali, (, 'oil. Salvin ; Peruvian Amazons (Bnrtleft), Co]l. Saunders; (J, 9, Nicaragua (7/(7/), Coll. 

 Ill- wit-son; (J , Ecuador, Coll. Buckley. 



This very beautiful species was for many years confouudeil with C. Anjantc, the two males being 

 very simiLir ; the P. Lurra of Fabiicius was supposed to be the female of C. Philea, an insect to which 

 the Fabrician description in no way applies; the diagnosis runs thus — " Papilio (D.) Larra. Alis 

 r. it\nidatis, int«gurrimis, fulvis, margine nigris ; suVjtus pallid ioribus, punctis duobus argenteis." 

 M. Menetries (Bull. Soc. Imp. de Mosc. 5, p. 296) remarks — " M. Godart in the sujijilement p. 8((.') 

 has reunited this species to the prece<ling" (Col. Philea) "but I think \vrongly, for in very many 

 individuals that I have had to o.xaniine at one time, the chariicturs of C. Larra have always licen 

 constant." 



That P. Hcritilia is identical with C. Larra S there can be no doubt, for Cramer says that it ha.s 

 ■ nil the undersurface of the wings, two small silvery white spots" and Herbst adds " the upperwings 

 have a very narrow black margin" (upperside), thus distinguishing it from C. Argante which he 

 describes thus — " All the wings on the upjier surface reddish yellow, the hind margin a little .spotted 

 with brown." 



In Perry's Arcana there is a very amusing description of the female under the name of Papilio 

 Volcanica which he -states to be " a native of the Kio de la Plata in South America, ami of Peru," lie 

 then adds — " The back is yellow, spotted with black and brown spots, irregularly placed. The under- 

 side coloured with tlie most splendid orange tints, nuxed with red, and of a light bro^vn ; small and 

 large circular pellets, of a pale brown, and scattered unequally with black netted lines which cover the 

 .<kin. The whole texture of this curious fly exliibits to a fanciful and capricious mind the representation 

 of a volcano or burning mountain, with balls of fire, and burning streams of lava, rising amongst the 

 smoke. The lower fly* resembles a soil of sulphur tint of a brown ami liurnt appearance, with several 

 orifices placed at intervals. If imagination can be indulged so far, we may call to mind the description 

 of .Sir "William Hamilton, in his travels in the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius, at the time of an eruption. 

 Balls of fire were seen spreading over tlic illuminated scene, mounting high in the air, and falling near 

 to his feet. Elvers of red hot lava, running in red lines, were stopped for some time by a valley, then 

 taking its course through lakes and pools, till it arrived at last at the sea, and buried its heat in the 

 deep." 



* I'lppcrsiirfuci- ligiirc. 



