9 

 science, and elucidate matters at this time buried in obscurity. The uses of many insects 

 in the creation are obvious at the first sight : such, for instance, are those which feed on 

 ])utrid animal or vegetable substances ; while others promote the general good by such 

 remote means, that we cannot immediately see to what end their operations verge. We 

 are not therefore, however, to suppose them mere expletives in the great system of beings ; 

 neither are we rashlv to attribute an importance to them which the}' do not deserve, or 

 ridiculously affect to admire circumstances in them of little moment, and praise the Creator 

 for dispositions of a secondary nature. 



" When I recommend observations to be made on the most trivial circumstances, it will 

 readily be conceived I do not wish to derogate fi-om experiment, from which alone solid 

 holies are to be formed, and those which have been hitherto made give great encouragement. 

 Mr. Reaumur has found that the nK)th, which feeds on clothes, refines the colour with 

 which they are dyed in a wonderful manner ; for the excrement of the animal is the colour 

 of the cloth on which it is fed ; and therefore, for miniature paintings, infinitely surpasses 

 all others. How far this kind of experiment can be refined on, must be left to the curiosity 

 and diligence of travellers and experimental philosophers, who may perhaps, in some part 

 of the world, realize and improve this reasoning upon a large and useful scale," 



MELIT.EA CYTHERIS. 



Plate IV. tig. 3, 4. 



Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Diurna. F.imily: Njnuphalidre, AVoi««. 



Genus. Melit.ea, -Fnft)'. Argynnis p. Odts. Lair. Sf- God. Papilio (Nymph. Plial.) i<™n/, 



Melit.ea Cythebis. Alls supra fulvis iiigTo maeulatis, subtus anticis fulvis apice fusco, striga albA, posticis 

 fuscis striga discoidali maculique marginali albis. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 3 lin.) 



Syn. Papilio (Nympli. Ph.") Cytlieris, Drury, App.vol. 2. 



Habitat: Falkland Islands. 



Upper Side. Head, eyes, thorax, and abdomen dark brown. Anterior wings bro\vn orange, with a 

 number of small black spots thereon (not less than twenty) of various shapes and sizes. Next the body 

 these wings are darker and pilose. Posterior wings are the same colour as the superior, and spotted 

 with many small black spots of different shapes dispersed all over the wings ; they are also darker next 

 the body and hairy. 



Under Side. Palpi reddish. Anterior wings sandy orange-coloured, rather paler than the upper 

 side. Near the tips is a white streak placed next the anterior margin, and close thereto is a cloud of a 

 dark red colour. Most of the small black spots are seen on this side, but less distinctly. Posterior wings 

 dark red, with several faint clouds. A narrow white streak, about a quarter of an inch in length, is placed 

 near the middle of each of these wings ; and another much shorter is placed on the anterior edge, near 

 the ujjper corner. All the wings are entire. 



II 



