HAIR-STREAKS. 



5*' 



to the wings the resemblance being so close, that without the aid of a magnifier which 

 shows their real structure, a person who had seen them for the first time might well 

 imagine that they had been veritable pieces of gold-leaf, and fastened to the wing by 

 cement. This butterfly is a native of Demerara. 



Our last example of this family is the MISIPSA, which may be seen in the left-hand 

 lower corner of the same engraving. The color of this pretty little insect is silvery 

 blue, over which are drawn a number of black" bands, thus producing 9 very bold effect. 

 The under surface is simply light brown, with some bands of a darker hue. The 

 Misipsa inhabits the regions about the Amazon. 



THE magnificent insect called 

 the NEOPTOLEMUS belongs to 

 the genus Morpho, in which are 

 contained some of the most 

 resplendent beings to be found 

 in the world, all being beauti- 

 ful, and some endowed with a 

 gorgeousness of coloring that is 

 almost inconceivable. In the 

 present species the upper wings 

 are of the richest azure, glitter- 

 ing like burnished metal, and 

 iridescent as the opal, but with 

 far greater intensity of hue. In 

 some lights the colors are som- 

 bre enough, being only pale 

 gray and darkish brown ; but 

 when the the light falls favorably 

 upon the wings, their colors 

 are truly magnificent. Around 

 the edges of the wings is a broad 

 belt of black, very deep towards 

 the tips, and narrowing towards 

 the angle. The under side is 

 soft brown, decorated with many 

 irregular stripes of yellowish 

 gray, and besprinkled with a 

 number of eye-like spots ar- 

 ranged in a tolerably regular 

 row, three on each of the upper 

 wings, and of nearly equal size, 

 and four on each of the lower 

 wings, one being very large and 

 separate from the rest, and the 

 remaining three small and close 

 together. In the centre of each 

 eye there is a little white spot, 

 round which is a broad ring of 

 black, then a narrower ring of 

 buff, then a line of black, and 

 lastly a gray line. 



JUST above the left-hand corner of the Thoas' wing in the illustration on page 505, 

 may be seen a little butterfly of simple coloring. This is one of the HAIR-STREAK 

 butterflies, belonging to another family called the Lycasnidae. In this family are con- 

 tained the beautiful blue butterflies so common in the fields, and whose exquisitely 

 spotted under surface never fails to attract admiration. All the Copper Butterflies 

 belong to the same family. 



NEOPTOLEMUS. Morpho neoptoiemus. 



