94 



SWALLOW-TAIL BUTTERFLY. 



Papilio Machaon. 



PLATE IV. Fig. 1. 



linn. Donovan, vi. 75, pi. 211. — Levin's Insects of Great 

 Britain, pi. 34. 



This elegant insect is the largest of our indige- 

 nous butterflies, the female being sometimes found 

 to measure upwards of three inches and a half be- 

 tween the tips of the wings. The base of the up- 

 per wings is black, powdered with yellow ; a large 

 portion of the apex is of the same colour, and adorn- 

 ed with a row of eight semicircular yellow spots, pa- 

 rallel with the outer margin, which is narrowly edged 

 with yellow : the central portion of the wings is yel- 

 low, spotted with black, the latter colour forming 

 three large patches towards the anterior margin, and 

 running in a broad line along the nervures. The 

 basal half of the under wings is yellow, except the 

 inner side, which is black, and covered with yellow 

 hairs, and the curved nervure on the under side of 

 the discoidal cell, which is defined by a black streak : 

 the other nervures are dusky. Beyond the yellow 

 portion there is a broad black band, ornamented with 



