Transitional Form o/'Oniitlioptera. 295 



least, a closer relationship with the true Ornithoptera than at 

 one time might have seemed probable. 



We owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Doherty for the faithful 

 and admirable work he has for a long time been doing among 

 the islands and islets of the Sunda Straits and adjacent 

 localities. In this respect he has been rapidlj entitling 

 himself to be regarded as a second Wallace. The novelty 

 which is now before us appears to me to be one of the most 

 useful contributions to the Rhopalocerous fauna which he has 

 been enabled to send to us. 



I have therefore much pleasure in dedicating this new 

 species to him, partly at the suggestion of Mr. Elwes, and 

 partly because I think it is right to give what honour we can 

 to those who faithfully spend their health and energies in 

 difficult regions of the earth, for the purpose of discovering 

 those lovely things which furnish us with fresh materials for 

 one of the most delightful studies, and with an increased 

 knowledge of God's works. 



Ornithoptera {Priamoptera) Doherty i^ sp. n. 



(^ . Primaries an intense silky black, almost like a bur- 

 nished black, with a faint green gloss in certain lights, 

 which gives it an exceedingly rich appearance. The grey 

 discal rays which enclose the nervules are so obscurely 

 represented as to be scarcely visible except when the light is 

 transmitted from the underside. The veins are all well 

 expressed, being somewhat lighter on the dark and much 

 darker on the light parts of the wing ; the costa is also of the 

 same tint, especially near the apex when viewed opposite the 

 light ; the costal outline is nearly straight to two thirds of 

 its length, or at the termination of the costal nervure, vv^lien 

 it curves considerably to the apex, which is so much rounded 

 as to pass insensibly into the posterior margin ; the outline of 

 the posterior margin curves somewhat irregularly, with an out- 

 ward trend much greater in proportion at the termination of 

 the second and third median nervules than at any other part, 

 not excepting the apex ; it is very delicately and equally 

 sinuate along its entire outline, with very fine reddisli- 

 ochreous fringe-lunules between the veins as usual. 



Secondaries entirely glossy black, slightly greenish or 

 bluish according to the position in which they are viewed ; 

 the veins sufficiently defined in a lighter tint ; the abdominal 

 marginal sexual pouch or fold is a faintly redder black ; the 

 posterior margin regularly and sufficiently scalloped, and 



