628 



INSECTS ABROAD. 



preen, or sold, and ol'ten two or all of these colours. This metallic 

 aspect has earned for the insect the generic name of Chahjbs, a 

 G-k ek word signifying " steel." 



The species which is here represented is very rare, and there 

 is only a single specimen in the British Museum. The upper 

 surface is metallic blue or green, according to the direction of 

 the light ; the green predominating near the base, and the blue 

 towards the tip. Both pairs of wings are surrounded with a 



Fig. 36j. — Chalybs poronata. 

 (Blue-green, black, and orange.) 



black edge, which merges almost imperceptibly into tne blue 

 of the centre. The double tail of the hind wings are jetty 

 black, and above each of them is a large spot of orange. 



Beneath, it is even handsomer than above. In both pairs of 

 wings the base is dark green, edged with glittering emerald. 

 Then conies a band of ruddy mahogany. In the upper pair is 

 a stripe of pale brown, while in the lower the colour is pink, 

 speckled with green, and then followed by rich green. On both 

 surfaces the tails are black. 



All the species of this genus are remarkable for their exceeding 



