282 insecta. 



and slightly curved at their extremity ; where the two anterior legs 

 are short and folded in both sexes, and the antennae terminate in a 

 much smaller club. The wings are also proportionally wider and 

 simply dentated. It has been observed that the nerves of the supe- 

 rior ones are strongly inflated at their origin *, 



Nymph ALis, Lai., 

 Similar to Biblis in the legs, but with shorter inferior palpi. It is 

 only by the elongation of the club of the antennae that this subgenus 

 is distinguished from Vanessa. The caterpillars, hoAvever, are dif- 

 ferent ; independently of their having but few spines or fleshy promi- 

 nences, they are somewhat attenuated towards their posterior extre- 

 mity, which is slightly forked. 



These Lepidoptera are usually very highly ornamented, and their 

 flight is elevated and rapid. 



Several beautiful species inhabit France. Such are those de- 

 signated in small groujDs by amateurs, by the names of Sylvains 

 and Mars ; the males of the latter are decorated with changeable 

 colours. To this subgenus belongs another beautiful species, 

 also indigenous to France, called the Jason — Papilio Jason, L. 

 The form and size of the club of the antennae vary a little, as 

 well as the relative proportions of the wings ; this has caused the 

 formation of some other subgenera, but their characters are very 

 equivocal. The species which approximate most to Biblis, 

 one of which is the Sylvain ca;nohite of Engrammelle, form the 

 genus Neptis of Fabricius. Of those which are most removed 

 from the preceding ones, either by their antennae or the inferior 

 Avings, and which present tails like certain species of the Equites 

 of Linnaeus, we will mention the Jason already quoted j. 

 MoRPHO, Fa6., 



Differing from Nympiialis in the almost filiform antennae, slightly 

 and gradually enlarged towards the extremity. 



All the species are peculiar to South America, and are remark- 

 able for their size, colours, and the ocellated spots on the inferior 

 surface of their wings. Linnoevis placed several of them among 

 his Greeks %. 

 Godart has separated from them, by the generic name of 



Pavonia, 

 Those species in which the central cell of the inferior wings is closed, 

 and where the most internal nerve of the superior is curved into an 

 S, instead of being straight or but slightly arcuated. A species pe- 

 culiar to the East Indies, in which the anal angle of the inferior 

 wings is extended in the manner of a tail, the P. phidippus, is the 

 type of the genus Amathusia of Fabricius. All the others are from 

 the western continent. The edge of the second joint of the inferior 



♦ See the works already quoted. 



t See Godart, Hist. Nat. des Lepid. de France, and liis article Fapillon of the 

 Encyc. Method., genus Nymphule. 

 X See the works already quoted. 



