592 INSECTS ABROAD. 



upper wing. The under surface is also white, but the upper 

 edge of each wing has a black band, which is widest at the base 

 and narrowest at the tip. The remarkable point in this insect 

 is the marking of the lower wings. These are white, but upon 

 them are two large circular eye-like spots. The outer ring of 

 these spots is blackish brown, and within it is a broad ring of 

 yellow. Then comes a large circular patch of black, and in its 

 centre is a little round spot of white. These rings are so exactly 

 circular that they look just like miniature targets. The wings 

 are rather translucent, so that when viewed from the upper sur- 

 face the eyes can be seen through them. 



The specific name of mylcecha, or, as it ought to be spelled, 

 mylccca, is a very curious one to be given to this Butterfly. It 

 is a name compounded by Pliny from two Greek words signifying 

 anything which inhabits a mill. Pliny used it to indicate some 

 little worm which was found in mills, but its connection with a 

 Butterfly from Louisiade seems rather obscure. 



In the British Museum there are many species of Drusilla, 

 and in all of them the eyes of the lower wings are very con- 

 spicuous. One of them, Drusilla bioculata, of New Guinea, has 

 the spots brought so closely together that they look like a figure 

 of 8. The second ring is blue instead of yellow. The Drusilla 

 Phorcas, a native of the New Hebrides, has its wings dark brown, 

 with the exception of a large patch of white on both pairs. The 

 lower wings have each a single circular eye of yellow, with a 

 black middle, and the usual little white dot in the centre of 

 the black. 



The great and important group of the Nymphalime com- 

 mences with the most wondrously magnificent members of the 

 insect race. In mere point of colour perhaps there may be 

 many which rival, even if they do not excel, the Morphos, but 

 then they are so small that their beauties cannot be seen — and, 

 indeed, scarcely suspected — without the aid of the microscope. 

 But the Morpho Butterflies not only are gifted with colours of 

 absolutely dazzling brilliancy, but are among the largest of the 

 insect race. They are all inhabitants of tropical America. Two 

 examples will be here given, the one to illustrate the upper and 

 the other the under surface of the wings. 



Our first example of these wonderful Butterflies is Morpho 



