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Genus M'ORPHO. 



The butterflies arranged together under the above 

 name are, in many respects, the most remarkable of 

 any to which our attention has yet been directed. 

 In size they are superior to all the other diurnal 

 lepidopterous tribes, except the Ornithoptera, and 

 many of them rival even that conspicuous group in 

 their dimensions. Although surpassed by many 

 others of their tribe in elegance of form and har- 

 monious blending of colours, they afford examples 

 of as rich tints as are to be found in any other 

 natural objects. The blue which adorns the whole 

 surface of M. Menelaus and Adonis, has a beauty 

 and lustre which it is impossible to witness without 

 admiration. When flying under the blaze of a 

 tropical sun, the brilliancy of the surface, as con- 

 trasted with the dark hue of the under side, as 

 they are alternately displayed, must render them 

 very striking objects. Most of them are from South 

 America, but a few occur in the eastern parts of 

 India and the great islands of the adjacent Archi- 

 pelago. 



The generic characters are more determinate than 

 is the case with many others of this order. The an- 

 tennas are slender, linear throughout their whole 

 length, or thickening so insensibly towards the ex- 



