Urania Slon-nun. 



Cdstnia Jicws. 



fragments of the wood. Just before undergoing the transformation, the larva turns round 

 so as to get its head towards the entrance of the burrow, and after it has changed into the 

 pupal form, is able, by means of certain projections on the segments, to push itself along 

 until the upper half ot the body protrudes through the orifice, and permits the perfect 

 moth to make its escape into the open air. 



The wings of this insect are transparent, with orange-red nervures and dusky fringes. 

 The head and thorax are shining brown-black, with a yellow collar, and the abdomen is 

 ringed with orange and dark brown. 



THE Uraniidse form a curious and somewhat doubtful family, some authors having 

 considered them to belong to the butterflies rather than the moths. Many of these insects 

 are of most gorgeous colouring ; their form, including the tailed wings, is very like 

 that of a butterfly, and they are diurnal in their habits. Still, the preliminary stages of 

 the caterpillar and pupa are such that they prove the insects really to belong to the 

 moth tribe. All these insects are inhabitants of the hotter parts of the earth, and are 

 most plentiful within the tropics. 



The Urania Sloanus is a native of Jamaica. The colour of this beautiful insect is 

 rather complicated, but may be briefly described as follows. The ground colour is intense 

 black, and the upper wings are striped with glittering golden green, the middle band being 

 the broadest. There is a broad transverse band near the middle of the hinder wings, 

 copper-coloured in its centre, fading into grey towards the ends of the wings, and broken 

 up by a number of black patches. The under side is pale shining gold, shot with bluish 

 green, and profusely marked with black. The wings are fringed with white. 

 3. M M 



