50 ON THE ORNITHOPTERA CASSANDRA, 



These very deviations, however, tending as they do uniformly 

 towards the diminution of the spots, as borne by the original 

 specimen, itself comparatively obscure, render the majority of 

 the species still more sombre and consequently more readily 

 distinguishable from others of the family. 



OrNITHOPTERA CASSANDRA. 



Ornithoptera Cassandra. $ W. Maclean M.S. Scott Trans. Ent. Soc.,KS.TF. 

 Vol. 1., p. 131, pi. 10. 



Male length of wings : 74 1 lines largest, 67^ lines smallest 



of the 9 specimens. 



Suijerior wings. Upper surface deep velvety-black, 

 relieved by two broad irregular curved bands of rich 

 satiny green, which spring from the base ; the one 

 runs under the costa towards the anterior angle ; the 

 other, along the inner margin and the outer one, as 

 far as the first discoidal nervule : immediately over 

 this latter is placed a large brownish-patch, disposed 

 longitudinally. Under surface, black, with a central 

 spot, and a large macular band, formed of contiguous 

 wedge-shaped spots, placed between the nervules, of 

 gilded green. These wedge-shaped spots are dis- 

 tinctly separated into two divisions by a broad black 

 band. There are, also, two irregular greenish streaks 

 towards the anterior angle, the inner one being short, 

 almost macular. 



Ivferior wings, upper surface, bright silky-green, with 

 the entire marginal border and four, sometimes, five 

 somewhat large oval spots, disposed between the 

 costal nervure and the first, or second median nervule, 

 one in each space, velvet-black : between these spots 

 and the posterior border are two, or, three minute 

 golden-orange specks, which, however, are not seen 

 in some of the specimens. This tendency to change 

 also exists in the large quadrate golden-coloured 

 space at the immediate basal portion of the anterior 

 margin, shown by some, while in others it is much 

 lessened, or nearly obsolete. Long, fine, closely-set 

 dark-brown hairs spring from immediately under- 



