RHIPHE US, dasycephalus, 

 Round-winged Emerald Butterfly 



Specific Charactkr. 



JVings Mack, varied with numerous irregular lines of emerald 

 green; posterior with the internal and anal angle, deep 

 blood-red, shining toith gold and spotted with black. 



Papilio Rhipheus. Drury. Ins. 2, p. 40, pi. 23, 1. 2. 



If the imagination was taxed to invent, or to concentrate 

 into one figure all that was splendid, lovely, or rare in the 

 insect world, Nature would far exceed the poor invention of 

 man by the production of this incomparably splendid crea- 

 ture; its rarity also is so great, that but one specimen has 

 ever been seen: this was brought from China, and in 

 1773, belonged to a Captain May, of Hammersmith : 

 with whom it was seen by Drury, and drawn by Harris. 

 It is not however , on this account only that we have 

 been induced to copy this figure, but because its illustra- 

 tion will clear up one of the most intricate and perplexing 

 questions, that has hitherto impeded the natural arrange- 

 ment of the Linmen Papiliones, and even of the whole 

 order of Lepidoptera. 



The error of Cramer, regarding fthipneus has already been 

 rectified. It will now be demonstrated that not only are 

 the two insects distinct as species, but that they actually 

 belong to different genera. Cramer's being a Urania 

 of Fabricius and Latrielle, while Drury's is a Papilio of 

 the same authors. This is proved by the figures ; and 

 confirmed by the following words of Drury, " The antenna} 

 are black, and knobbed at their extremities,'''' in other 

 words, clavite; while the palpi, as expressed in the figure, 

 are so small as not to project beyond the head, where they 

 Jie hid in the frontal hairs : this also being a typical dis- 

 tinction of the Latrellian Papilion.es. The figures in Drury's 

 work were all drawn and engraved by Moses Harris, well 

 known as one of the most accurate artists that ever lived : as 

 a remarkable proof of this, we find that he has not failed to 

 delineate that peculiar miration of tin 1 anterior wings, which 

 belongs only to the types of Leilus, A closer affinity 

 therefore between Papilio and Leiltis cannot possibly be 

 imagined : while its remarkably hairy front, points out its 

 analogy, as an aberrant type in its own genus, to Chlorisses, 

 among insects, and Dasycepliala among birds. So true 

 it is that the natural system " illuminates with a flood of 

 light" every supposed anomaly, and reconciles facts appa* 

 rently the most inexplicable. 



131, 



