On the Ornithoptera Cassandra, 

 By A. W. Scott, M.A. 



[Read 6th July, 1868.] 



My friend, Mr. Edward P. Ramsay of Dobroyde, near Sydney, 

 having sent me for examination a case containing numerous 

 lepidopterous insects, collected for liim by Mr. E. Spalding at 

 Rockingham Bay, Northern Australia, during the months of 

 December, January, and February last, I had the gratification of 

 finding in this collection no less than nine males and seven 

 females of the Ornithoptera Cassandra ; an insect, the female of 

 which, the male being then unknown, I described and figured in 

 page 131, plate 10, of the first volume of our Transactions, from 

 an individual captured at Port Denison in February 1862, by Mr. 

 George Masters, now assistant Curator of the Australian Museum. 



This was the only specimen I possessed to compare with 

 those many nearly-allied species, said to be exclusively confined 

 to Australia, and having a geographical range there from 

 Richmond River, New South Wales, to Cape York, Queensland ; 

 a latitudinal extent of nearly 1000 statute miles^ ; and likewise 

 with those inhabiting the adjacent, as well as the more eastern of 

 the Indian Islands, comprehending Woodlark and Darnley 

 Islands, New Guinea, Amboyna, Solomon Islands, &c. As the 

 members of this group closely resemble each other in form and 

 colouring, I, therefore, experienced some difiiculty in determining 

 the species to be new : my view in this respect has however now 

 been happily confirmed by the recent acquisition of so many fine 

 examples of both sexes. 



Before proceeding to furnish a detailed account of this 

 species, I may be allowed to premise, with respect to the 

 plumage of the female insects, now presented to view by these 

 recently acquired specimens, that I find among themselves, 

 considerable disparity in the size, not in the disposition, of the 

 dull- whitish markings on the anterior wings ; and more especially 

 to those previously described ; so much so as to necessitate a 

 farther description, supplemental to the one already given. 



1 The expression " extreme North of Australia," used by Doubleday and 

 Westwood, in defining the range of the Australian Ornithoptera, is incorrect. 



