486 Royal Society .— 



On a New Species of Lepidopterous Insect. 

 By G. R. Gray, F.L.S. & Z.S., etc. 



Among the various novelties sent home during the voyages of 

 H.M.SS. 'Rattlesnake' and ' Herald ' by Mr. ISIacgillivray, is the 

 splendid Biitttrfly now laid before the Society. It belongs to the 

 great genus Pupilio and to the subdivision Ornithoptera, and like 

 the other known species of that grouj), its flight is very elevated; so 

 much so, that it became necessary to employ powder and shot to 

 secure the sj)ecimen ; many shots have perforated the wings, and 

 have rather damaged the specimen, but still not so as to entirely 

 destroy the beauty of this remarkable butterfly. No lepidopterous 

 insect of its magnitude has hitherto been known from the locality of 

 this species ; which, from the other insects contained in the same 

 box, is supposed (as no memorandum was sent with it) to be either 

 Solomon Islands, Aneiteum, New Hebrides, or the Fiji group, — at any 

 rate from one of the islands in the South Pacific Ocean. 



The general colour is glossy brouze-bbick, with the two outer rows 

 of irregular-sized spots of jjure white, while those at the base of the 

 fore wings are ricli king-yellow, but partly pure white outerly ; the 

 anterior margin of the secondary wings narrowly bordered with king- 

 yellow, 



Tlie under surface like the upper ; but the anterior margin of the 

 secondary wings broadly bordered, and some of the spots tinged, 

 with rich king-yellow. The head and thorax pure black ; the body 

 ochraceous yellow above, and black along the middle beneath. 



It is a female. The male remains at present unknown, but one 

 may suppose, by the usual brilliancy of the males of this group to 

 which it belongs, that it is likely to prove a most beautiful insect, 

 exhibiting some gorgeous combination of colour. 



The name I propose for this splendid insect is Papilio (^Ornitho- 

 ptera) Victor ice. 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 

 Dec. 13, 1855. — Colonel Sabine, R.A.,Treas. and V.P., in the Chair. 



" On the Structure and Development of the Cysticercus cellulosee, 

 as found in the Pig." By George Rainey, Esq. 



The Cysticercus cellulosa, in its mature state, consists of two 

 parts : one a small oval cyst, composed of a very thin membrane, 

 rendered uneven on its external surface by minute rounded projec- 

 tions, and containing in its interior, granular matter, particles of 

 oil, and a colourless fluid. This may be called its ventral portion. 

 The other is folded inwards, occupying the centre of the cyst just 

 described, but by pressure it may be made to protrude. This part 

 is sometimes called the neck. Its length varies very much in dif- 

 ferent Cysticerci, depending upon their age. It is hollow, having 

 strong membranous parietes, wrinkled transversely, and composed 

 both of circular and longitudinal fibres. The cavity has no visible 

 communication with that of the ventral portion. It contains a 



