MR. W. S. MACLEAY ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF URANIA. 187 
recognised by its red head and spotted black prothorar. In form it agrees very closely 
with the caterpillar of Agarista, as figured by Lewin, but is more simple, having no 
hinder protuberance on the penultimate segment. 
The pupa of Ur. Fernandine is not at all angular, like that of most diurnal Lepido- 
ptera, but agrees with them in being rather gaily coloured. It is of a yellowish brown 
colour, the thorax being of a rather paler tint, and the wings of a darker hue than the 
rest of the body. The antenne, proboscis, eyes, legs, and nervures of the wings, being 
of a dark brown hue, are particularly visible in this chrysalis. The head is rounded, 
and is marked with three or four black spots. The mesothoraz has four or five very 
conspicuous black spots interspersed with points, and the abdominal segments are each 
marked transversely with from about twenty five to thirty five black linear dots. 
The perfect butterfly is truly diurnal, and very swift in its flight. It is not found in 
the interior of the island, but it may be seen in plenty to haunt gardens as far as two 
or even three leagues from the coast, sporting in the sun and sucking the flowers of 
Cestrum diurnum, Ehretia tinifolia, and other odoriferous trees of small stature. In hot 
weather and about midday it flies particularly high, and may be even observed sur- 
mounting the tops of the highest members of the forest. In the afternoon I have often 
seen it sport about some capriciously chosen spot, such as a particular branch of Mango, 
where it would always return to alight on almost the same leaf, in a manner that has 
sometimes reminded me of a well known habit of the Muscicape!. Thus does our insect 
spend whole hours until sunset, when the bats? usually terminate its diversion and life. 
On the approach of winter it may be seen at times alighting on hedges, when specimens 
are more easily captured. The flight, however, of Ur. Fernandine is always strong, 
and in starts like that of Fringillde, When it alights on a leaf all the four wings are 
expanded horizontally, and rarely, if ever, take a vertical position like thosé of other 
species of the Linnzan genus Papilio when at rest’. 
1 And also of Apatura Iris among the true diurnal Lepidoptera of Great Britain. 
* Principally the Phyllostoma Jamaicense, Horsf. By the way, in the second edition of Cuvier’s ‘Régne 
Animal’ this author says of the Phyllostomes, ‘« Ce sont des animaux . .. . qui ont l’habitude de sucer le sang des 
animaux.” I can only say that this is not only quite untrue as respects the Cuban species, but perfectly im- 
possible. The Phyll. Jamaicense, for instance, lives on fruits and winged insects, in search of which last 
it will often be found in bed-rooms. The Vampire Bat of South America is also a Phyllostoma of Cuvier and 
Geoffroy ; but until some person having pretension to the name of naturalist shall establish the fact on personal 
observation, I shall as readily believe that it sucks the blood of men as that the Caprimulgus sucks the milk of 
goats. I should not be surprised if the mischief now attributed to the Vampire shall be found to be the work of 
some Annulose animal, perhaps an Annelide, like that which infests Ceylon, Sumatra, &c. Time will show; but 
I have travelled enough to know that if natives are bad observers of nature, the great majority of travellers are 
still worse. 
5 There is in all probability, therefore, an error in the attitude given by M. Guérin to Ur. Boisduvalii in fig. 1. 
of his plate. The wings of Urania, in fact, are of that kind of complication which Messrs. Kirby and Spence, 
in their excellent Orismology, call Ale extense patentes. 
VOL. I. 2c 
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