E U D A M U S Agesilaus. 



Family Hesperidse. — Nob. {Anopluriform Stirps. Horsf.) 



Generic Character. 



Antennae with the club unequally fusiform, the outer half abruptly 

 bent, forming- a lengthened, attenuated hook, alike in both 

 sexes; anterior wings papilioniforni : posterior wings with the 

 caudal appendages very long and obtuse. 



Type. — Hesperia Proteus. Fab. 



Specific Character. 



Posterior ivings dark brown, xv'ith a broad, entire, cream coloured 

 margin; beneath marked with two darker bands, and a basal 

 dot : appendages very long, whiteish. 



The insects composing this group, have only been dis- 

 covered in the hot latitudes of America. In the Si/stema 

 Naturae one species alone is recorded ; Fabricius was 

 acquainted with three ; our own cabinet possesses eighteen, 

 all collected in a comparatively insignificant portion of 

 Brazil. Others have been figured by Drury and Cramer, 

 so that the number of species already known, may probably 

 amount to near thirty. 



The flight of these Swallow-tailed Hesperidse, is usually 

 performed in the morning and evening, and is so rapid, as 

 frequently to elude the eye of the observer. They rest 

 Avith all the four wiugs perpendicular, similar to the 

 Swallow-tailed Butterflies, (P. Machaon, &c.) The present 

 is a very rare species ; we captured only two specimens 

 near Bahia. 



E U D A M U S Doryssus. 



Posterior icings, with short snoicij tails, and a half border of 

 white on both sides; beneath brown, with a few paler dots 

 near the base. 



The sexes of this species materially differ. Our figure 

 represents the female : in the male, the wings are browner, 

 and highly glossed at their base with green ; the snowy 

 border on the posterior wings is very narrow above, but 

 much broader beneath. It appears very locally distributed ; 

 we found it common in the vicinity of Bahia. 

 Eudamus, Tl. 1. 



