APATURA. 303 



middle of the wing, and extending to the apical angle ; fourth branch ai-ising at four fifths of the length ol the 

 wing. Upper disco-cellular vein obsolete ; middle disco-cellular arising at the anterior extremity of the 

 discoidal cell, at the distance of one third of the length of the wing from the base, very short, and forming 

 the curved branch of the lower discoidal vein ; lower disco-cellular vein obsolete, so that the discoidal cell is 

 open. 



nind Wings triangular-ovate ; the apical angle more or less elongated. Outer margin scalloped. Inner margin 

 deeply grooved to receive the abdomen, with a deep sinus between the body and the anal angle. Precostal 

 vein strongly curved, its extremity directed outwards from the body. Postcostal vein branched at a short 

 distance from its base. Discoidal cell not closed, the outer disco-cellular vein being obsolete. 



Fore Legs of the male very short and slender, clothed with delicate white hairs. Tibia shorter than the femur. 

 Tarsus about two thirds of the length of the tibia, very slender, and, when denuded of its hairs, four-jointed ; 

 the joints not indicated by short spines, and the apical joint very minute, simple, and destitute of apical claws. 

 Fore Legs of the female very slender and scaly. Femur within clothed with short white flossy hairs. Tarsus 

 two thirds of the length of the tibia, nearly cylindrical, suboblique at the tip, and articulated, with short spines 

 beneath, indicating the joints. 



Four Hind Legs moderately long, scaly. Tibiaa and tarsi finely spined beneath. Tibia of the middle legs 

 shorter than the femora ; those of the hind legs equal to them in length. Tibial s})urs short. Claws, 

 paronychia, and pulvillus of moderate size. 



Abdomen small, elongate-conic in the males ; more robust in the females. 



Caterpillar naked, gradually attenuated behind ; the head armed with two spines, and the tail with two 



obtuse points. 

 Chrysalis compressed at the sides; the back carinated, and the head bifid. 



The butterflies belonging to the present genus are some of the most beautiful of the insect tribes; their wings not only lieing 

 elegantly varietl in their markings, but those of the males of the majority of the species being splendidly glossed with purjile or blue, 

 varying in the intensity of the shade. In most of the species, also, the hind wings are marked with an ocellus on the under side, near 

 the anal angle, in the space between the first and second branches of the median vein. 



The species here introduced into this genus present some modifications of structure which require notice. Regarding the two 

 European species as the types of the genus, the South American species differ in having a more robust body, shorter fore wings, more 

 elongated hind wings, and longer antenn;c. These form the genus Clilorippe of Boisduval ; but I can find no good structural cliaracter 

 to separate them from the European species. The male of A. Vacuna has the tibia and tarsus of tlie fore leg dilated, the latter with 

 very indistinct traces of articulation, and some of the Brazilian species have the under surface of the wings splendidly glossed with 

 silver ; these form Hiibner's genus Catargyria. 



East India possesses several beautiful species, one of which, A. Namoun.a, equals our British species in the splendid gloss on its 

 wings. Another hitherto undescribed East Indian species, a native of Assam, for which I am indebted to Major F. Jenkins (A. 

 Parisatis W.), is at once distinguished by its small size, and by the uniform jet-black colour of the upper surftxce of its wings; its under 

 side being varied with rich red-brown and chestnut, and with a slight whitish macular fascia across the middle of the wings, and a 

 minute eye near the anal angle. The female is dull fulvous ; both surfaces with markings nearly similar to those of the under side of 

 the male, and with a curved row of small white dots near the apex of the fore wings. 



In the rich collections of the East India House and British Museum, there are females of two or three other species closely allied 

 to the one last above mentioned. 



I have added to this genus the Limenltis dichroa of Kollar, from Northern India, which, although destitute of the purple gloss in 

 the males, has the rich yellow markings of the wings arranged nearly as in A. Ilia. The palpi arc, however, considerably more 

 elongated, and the head maculated with white. This insect, and another still finer and closely allied from India, yet undescribed, form 

 the types of Boisduval's MS. genus Castalia. 



I am more doubtful as to the projjricty of introducing, even at the end of the genus, another new species from India (A. Morgiana 

 TV.), somewhat agreeing in its markings with A. dichroa, but having the discoidal cell closed in all the wings by a very delicate lower 

 disco-cellular vein ; the palpi and antenna; are, however, those of the present genus ; the hind wings have the disc of a uniform orange 

 yellow colour, but exhibiting a very remarkable silky texture. It is possible that when the larva of this species is known, it may prove 

 more nearly allied to the genus Vanessa. 



The Larva of the Purple Emperor, as our British species, A. Iris, is appropriately named, feeds upon the broad-leaved sallow, is 

 thickest iu the middle of the body, with the head furnished with two erect horns ; the body attenuated behind, and terminated liy a 

 bifid point*; it is delicate green, and finely shagrcencd with slender, oblique, pale yellow lines at the sides. A very interesting account 

 of the transformations and habits of tliis insect, written by Pallas, antl presented to the old Aurelian Society, but which liad remained 

 unpublished, was foimd by me amongst the papers of Mr. Drury. I conununicated this memoir to the Entomological Society of 

 London, and it is publislted in the second volume of the Transactiovs of that society. From this we le.arn thatthe eggs are of a curious 

 and elegant shape, and are deposited on the highest branches of the willow and oak ; they are at first of a bright greenish yellow, but 

 subseqitently acquire a dark brown circle round the top, where afterwards the head of the caterpillar is formed and seen tlu-ough the 

 shell, wliich is eaten by the caterpillar as soon as hatched. It also devours Its own cast skin after its different moultings. Tlie I'erfect 

 Insect is remarkable for the elegance of Its mode of flight, which Boisduval enthusiastically terms " nobilis, velificans." It Is In the 

 month of June that It appears in the winged state, fixing Its throne, as J\Ir. Haworth remarked, on the summit of a lofty oak, from the 

 utmost sprigs of which, on sunny days, it performs Its aerial excursions, ascending to a very great elevation, and sometimes mounting 

 higher even than the eye can follow, especially If It happens to quarrel with another Emperor, the monarch of some neighbouring oak. 



♦ On account of this formation of the larva Dr. Horsfiekl has separated Apatura from the other Nymphalidse, and given it as a normal genus of his 

 Thysaimriform stirps, including Melauitis and Hipparchia. I cannot, however, regard the characters afforded by the preparatory states, in this instance, as 

 overbalancing the more evident affinity of the perfect insect to the typical Nymphalidar. 



November 1 . 1 850. * ^ 



