1 96 EMPEROR-MOTH. 



projecting barb on each side. The head is very 

 small, and nearly concealed by the dense hairs that 

 clothe the anterior part of the thorax ; and the wings 

 are very broad, extended horizontally when in a 

 state of repose, and furnished with a fringe so short 

 and imperfect as to be scarcely perceptible. The 

 genus is not of very great extent, but it comprehends 

 some of the most magnificent species yet known to 

 naturalists. Such are S. atlas of China, which 

 frequently measures eight or ten inches across, and 

 which the French name Porte-miroir, on account of 

 a large transparent vitreous mark in the centre of 

 each wing ; and S. luna, a native of America, re- 

 markable for its delicate green colour, and the tail- 

 like elongation of its hinder wings. Another species 

 is the Peacock (S. Pavonia-majorJ, the wings of 

 which sometimes expand upwards of six inches, and 

 is therefore the largest insect indigenous to Europe. 

 The only species found in this country is the beauti- 

 ful one represented on the accompanying plate. The 

 female sometimes attains to upwards of three inches 

 in the expansion of the wings, but the male seldom 

 exceeds two and a half. The colour in both sexes 

 is greyish, with numerous white scales intermixed, 

 and faintly tinged in several places with purple; 

 the hinder margin of all the wings with a broad 

 brownish-white band. Besides this there are two 

 transverse bands on each wing, one towards the 

 base, somewhat abbreviated, and consisting of a 

 white, purplish, and dark-brown stripe, the other 

 placed behind the middle and very much waved. 



