508 THE HECTOR 



chalky white are seen upon the upper wings, as if dashed in with a quick sweep of a dry 

 brush, and a similar dash of yellow is seen upon the lower wings. The abdomen is bright 

 yellow below and dark brown above, and round the neck is a narrow collar of fiery 

 crimson, rich and silken as " chenille." 



Another species of this genus, the POSEIDON, is a great favourite with the natives of 

 the Darnley Islands, who are accustomed to catch several of these fine insects, to tie one 

 end of a fine thread to the butterfly, and the other to their hair, so as to permit the insects 

 to flutter about their heads. This style of head-dress is much admired, and, indeed, is 

 equally poetical and artistic. Many of these insects differ greatly, according to sex, the 

 upper wings of the male PRIAM, for example, being velvety black, striped with silky green, 

 and the hinder wings entirely silky green, spotted with black and orange ; while the 

 female is dark brown, spotted with white. 



IN the genus Papilio we find the insects to be of nearly as magnificent proportions as 

 in the former genus, though none of them reach the enormous size of the Priam, which 

 will sometimes measure nearly eight inches across the spread wings. The colours 

 are, however, more varied, and quite as brilliant, while a curious feature is often added by 

 the prolongation of the hinder wings into two long tail-like appendages. The larva is of 

 varied form, sometimes smooth, sometimes covered with fleshy protuberances, sometimes 

 long, and able to throw out or to withdraw at pleasure the two first segments of the body, 

 sometimes short, thick, and grub-like, and in one or two instances marvellously resembling 

 snails in the general form. The genus is a veiy comprehensive one, including between 

 two and three hundred known species, among which may be found almost every imaginable 

 tint in every gradation, and exhibiting bold contrasts of colour which scarcely any human 

 artist would dare to place together, and which yet produce a result equally striking and 

 harmonious. 



Our first example is the SAEPEDON, one of the most common of the genus, being found 

 plentifully throughout many parts of Asia, Australia, and the Sandwich Islands. Its 

 flight is rather swift, and easily recognisable, and, in common with many allied species, it 

 has regular beats, traversing the same ground time after time with almost mechanical 

 regularity. Entomologists take advantage of this habit, and if they see one of these 

 butterflies, pass over a certain spot, they just go and sit down where they saw the insect, 

 and catch it as it comes round on its next circuit. 



The colouring of the Sarpedon is simple, and yet brilliant. On the upper side the 

 ground colour of the wings is brown, with a very slight tinge of chestnut ; and the bold 

 band which traverses the wings is rich iridescent green, having much of the azure 

 reflection that is seen in green nacre. The little crescentic marks on the lower wings 

 are of the same hue. Below, the broad band is very pale green, and on the lower wings 

 are several streaks and dashes of crimson. 



The HECTOR forms a fine contrast to the preceding insect, its colours being almost 

 wholly black and flaming crimson. On its upper surface, the front pair of wings are 

 sooty black, with a broad dash of grey-brown over the centre, and a little pencilling of 

 the same colour near the tips ; and the lower wings are deep velvety black, diversified 

 with spots of intense crimson. The wings have a very narrow edging of white. The 

 chest and part of the abdomen are black, and the head and rest of the abdomen of the 

 same rich crimson as the spots on the wings. The under surface is coloured much in the 

 same way, except that the crimson spots are larger. 



On the large engraving at page 505, and in the right-hand lower corner, may be seen 

 a butterfly, with two very long straight tails to its under wings. This insect belongs to 

 the genus Papilio, and is known by the name of Protesilaus. The colours of this species 

 are comparatively dull, but when examined, their soft contrasts are so pleasing to the eye, 

 that any change would only be for the worse. Above, the upper wings are partly trans- 

 parent, a large patch of white scales being set near their base. The under wings are 

 mostly white, with the exception of a little dash of scarlet on their inner edge, a few 

 half moons of dull yellow near their tips, and streaks of blackish brown on their edges 

 and along the centre of the tails. On the under side is a little more variety, the shining 



