5 



each of them, the ends of which are verged with cream. On the middle of each wing is placed a great 

 number of small powder-like spots of a golden green colour; and on the abdominal edges, just below 

 the body, are two scarlet and cream crescents placed opposite each other. The upper part of each wing 

 exhibits ten cream-coloured spots of different shapes and sizes, whereof three are larger than all 

 the rest. 



Under Side. Breast scarlet. Sides black. Abdomen scarlet, with white rings. Wings coloured 

 nearly as on the other side ; the spots being rather more distinct, the crescents broader, and the cream 

 edges stronger than on the upper side. All the wings are dentated; the superior very faintly, the 

 inferior very deeply. 



Drury states that he was ignorant from what part of the world his specimen (which was 

 o-iven to him by Mr. Leman) came from. No other individual of this species is recorded 

 to exist in the modern collections, and it is from the figure and description of Druiy that 

 all subsequent writers have derived their knowledge of this splendid and unique insect. 



Donovan, however, figured this butterfly, or rather copied Drury's figure in his beautiful 

 work upon the Insects of India, observing merely that it might be " mentioned with nmch 

 proprietv amongst the rarest of the Papilio tribe found in India," without giving any 

 account of the source from whence his figure and information had been obtained. 



At the sale of Mr. Drury's collection, this butterfly composed lot 4 of the first day's 

 sale, May "23, 1805, and was purchased by Mr. Latham at the price of £2. l'2s. 6d. 



The Rev. F. W. Hope, however, possesses a specimen, which he has informed me, that 

 he obtained in a small collection of rare insects from tropical Africa, collected by the 

 late Mr. Ritchie. 



THECLA SYLVANUS. 



Plate III. fig. -2, 3. 



Order; Lepidoptera. Section: Diurna. Family: Lycmnidie , Leach . 



Genus. Tuecla, Fabr. Polyommatus p. Latr. S,- God. Hespcria p. Fabr. olim. Papilio (Pleb. ruric.) 



Linn. Drury. 

 Thecla Svlvanus. Alls supra maris obscure violaceis, feminse albido coerulescentibus ; subtus fuscis, annulis 



numerosis albis seu albitlis ; posticis ocellis duobus anguli aui argenteis rufo cinctis. (Expans. Alar. 



1 unc. 3 lin.) 



Syn. Papilio (Pleb. rur.) Sylvanus, Z)r((r)/, App. vol.2. 



Pap. Larydas, Cramer, pi. 282. /</. H. Herbst. tab. 290./. 1. Latr. S,- God. Em: MHh. ix. (HO. 

 (Polyommatus Larydas.) 



Habitat: Sierra Leone. 



Upper Side. Head, thorax, and abdomen black. Wings of a dark mazarine blue, tinged with 

 brown ; immaculate. Posterior wings with three small narrow tails to each, which appear to be clusters 

 of small hairs, extending from the wing below the cilia. 



Under Side. Palpi, breast, and thighs grey. Wings russet or hair-coloured. ^Vnterior near the 

 tips with a few faint markings. Posterior wings irregularly spotted with black, dark brown, and whitish 



