THE CHAMELEON MOTH. 



697 



of demarcation running from tip to base. Upon the wing are 

 drawn a number of beautiful silver-white lines, as shown in 

 the illustration. The lower wings are dark brown, and in the 

 middle there is a triangular patch of a lighter hue. The abdo- 

 men is light brown, barred with a darker hue. 



The strangest part of the insect is to be found in the tail, 

 which is furnished with a large brush of brown and grey hairs, 

 the former occupying the upper and the latter the lower 

 portion. The appearance of the tuft is curiously like that of 

 the Brush-tailed Porcupine. The hairs, which are, in fact, 

 nothing but developed scales, are exceedingly long and flat, and 

 are widened at the ends so as to resemble very much elongated 

 battledores. 



There are many species of this t^'oup, mostly Brazilian, but 

 none so large as this. Mr. A. H. Butler describes a very fine 

 species which he has named Tarsolcpis rcviicauda, a native of 

 Java, and has given an admirable figure of the insect as it 

 appears in life, clinging to a twig, so that the double tail-tuft 

 displays its peculiar con- 

 struction. The specific 

 name rcmicauda is Latin, 

 signifying " oar-tail," and 

 is given to the insect be- 

 cause the long tail-hairs 

 with Lheir widened and 

 flattened ends look very 

 much like oars. 



The Chameleon Moth 

 well deserves its name, 

 for it is so exceedingly va- 

 riable in colour that two 

 specimens can scarcely be 

 found which are exactly 

 alike. It has a tolerably 



wide range of country, the specimens in the British Museum 

 having been brought from almost all parts of Southern and 

 Western Africa. 



The specimen which is here figured has the upper wings 

 chocolate brown from the base to nearly half their length, the 



Fig. 432.— Achaa Chameleon. 

 (Brown, olive-grey, and white.) 



