THE OWL BUTTERFLY. 595 



opaline blue, with a decided clash of green in some lights. The 

 wings are edged with a broad band of black, in which is a row 

 of little white spots. The female is coloured in a somewhat 

 similar fashion, but the blue is less brilliant, and the black 

 belt is replaced by a very broad brown band. In this band 

 are a number of spots, white on the upper wings and red on 

 the lower. 



Below, its colouring is equally bold, and so intricate that a 

 minute description would be quite out of place. Described 

 generally, the ground colour is chocolate-brown, and upon the 

 upper wing there are three bold eyes, situated in an irregular 

 belt of grey. The outer ring of these eyes is black, followed by 

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

 its centre is a purple spot. A band of pale red runs parallel to 

 the edge of both pairs of wings. The lower wings are likewise 

 chocolate-brown, and have upon them four large circular rings 

 of grey, each ring having a very narrow black line running 

 through it. 



The magnificent insect which is drawn on Plate XIV. is a 

 native of South America. Two views of it are given in order to 

 show the difference between the upper and under surfaces. The 

 former appears at first sight to be plain chocolate-brown, but in 

 certain lights it is seen to be glossed with blue and olive-green. 

 The latter is dun, mottled near the base of the lower wings 

 with white. The lower wings are also dun, covered with 

 profuse mottlings and scribblings of dark brown. In the centre 

 is a single large oval eye-like spot. At the upper end is a 

 semi-lunar line of black, followed by an oval ring of ruddy 

 chestnut. Inside this is another ring of yellow, and the centre 

 is filled with a large oval spot of black, crossed with a few 

 white spots. 



When the wings are expanded, the insect bears a startling- 

 resemblance to the face of an owl ; the oval marks representing 

 the eyes, the body of the butterfly the beak, and the open wings 

 resembling in outline the two great feather-discs that surround 

 the eyes. On account of this peculiarity it is popularly called 

 the Owl Butteefly. I would have had it drawn so as to show 

 the resemblance, but the insect is so large that there would not 

 have been sufficient space on the page. 



q q 2 



