INSECT GIANTS. 307 



plates projecting from beneath small, rounded elytra. The 

 generic name of Pterinoxyhis, or "sharp-winged insect," has 

 been given to it on account of the appearance of the wings when 

 closed. If, however, they be opened and spread widely, a very 

 curious structure is seen. The upper edge of the wing is modi- 

 fied into a green, almond-shaped, fiat, horny plate, which covers 

 the gauzy portion of the wing, and is the only part which is 

 visible when the organ is closed. 



At the base of the wing, and partly overlapping the horny 

 plate, is an oval mirror-like patch, very smooth, very shining, 

 and having no veins or other markings upon it. As nearly as 

 possible this patch is the same size as the elytra, so that when 

 the wings are closed, as seen in the illustration, it is wholly 

 covered by them. Whatever may be the case with the male 

 insect, the wings of the female are much too small to be of any 

 use for the purpose of flight. The elytra themselves are green, 

 patched with brown. 



This remarkable insect inhabits tropical America. It is drawn 

 rather smaller than its actual size, the length from the tail to 

 the claws of the outstretched fore-legs being about seven inches. 



As, in the case of several of the preceding insects, the drawing 

 has to be made on a reduced scale, so it is with the species 

 represented on the next page. Its length from head to tail is, 

 in the female, about seven inches ; and the fore-legs will add 

 some three inches to this measurement. 



The name Cyphoerania is formed from two Greek words 

 signifying "bowed-head," and is given to the insects of the 

 genus because the head always droops greatly downwards. 

 The name Unceladus is that of one of the giants of mytho- 

 logy, and is applied to the species in consequence of its 

 gigantic size. It is not, however, the largest of its kind, for 

 it is far excelled in dimensions by Cyphoerania gigas, which is 

 rather more than eight inches in length from head to tail, and 

 its spread of wing is exactly eight inches in one of the .specimens 

 which I measured. This, therefore, may be considered as one of 

 the three or four largest insects of the world ; and I should very 

 much like to weigh some of them while they are still living, so 

 as to obtain an approximate idea of the amount of material con- 

 tained in each. 



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