160 LEPIDOPTERA. 



hind wings change in certain lights to pale iridescent green. The 

 Ornithopterce vary from three to nine inches in expanse of 

 wing. 



The great genus Papilio, Linn., is one of the most varied and 

 beautiful of all the butterflies. The species are usually, but not 

 always, inferior to the largest Ornithoptera in size. Few of the 

 latter surpass P. Antimachus, Drury, the rarest of the African species. 

 Its wings are still longer and narrower than in Ornithoptera, but 

 the fore wings are dark brown, with many tawny yellow spots 

 and markings towards the base, and the hind wings are of a tawny 

 yellow, with black spots and a black border. Nothing is known 

 of its habits, and although it was figured by Drury as long ago as 

 1782, it was not till 1864 that a second specimen was brought to 

 Europe. Since then it has been received occasionally, but is still 

 one. of the rarest butterflies in collections. 



Several groups of this genus are peculiar to South America. 

 P. Polydamas, Linn., and its allies are green or dark brown, often 

 with a yellow band on the hind wings, which is narrower and 

 broken into spots on the fore wings. A very extensive group is 

 dark brown, with dentated hind wings and a large dull green or 

 creamy-white mark on the fore wings, and a bright crimson band 

 or row of spots on the hind wings, which frequently changes to 

 iridescent blue or green in different lights. P. Triopas, Godt., a 

 common insect on the Lower Amazons, is allied to these, but is 

 black, with large yellow spots. 



Some of the East Indian species of Papilio resemble Danaince. 

 One of the commonest is the large black and buff P. Dissimilis, 

 Linn. P. Paradoxa, Zink., from Java, has a most deceptive 

 resemblance to a Euplwa. 



Some species present very little resemblance to any others. 

 One of these is P. Anterior, Drury, a large tailed butterfly, five 

 inches in expanse, which is found in Madagascar. It is black, 

 with several rows of large white spots on the wings ; and the 

 head, abdomen, and a row of large submarginal lunules on the 

 hind wings, are bright scarlet. It is not rare, but is difficult to 

 capture, as its flight is very lofty. It was figured by Drury in 

 1773; but it was sixty years before a second specimen was 

 brought to England, and thirty more before the real locality was 

 known. P. Hector, Linn., is a common Indian species. It is black 

 and tailed, with white markings on the fore wings, and two rows 

 of large blood-red spots on the hind wings. 



