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Genus HELICONXA. 



This beautiful genus is easily recognized by its pe- 

 culiar aspect, as well as by the more precise cha- 

 racters which it affords. The anterior wings are 

 long, narrow, and entire, and the hinder pair often 

 recede considerably from the abdomen, which is 

 long and slender. The breadth of the insect, there- 

 fore, when flying, always greatly exceeds its length. 

 No -lepidopterous insect is ever entirely without 

 scales, but in a section of this group, they are so 

 few and minute as to leave the wings perfectly trans- 

 parent. The palpi rise obviously above the head ; 

 the second joint is greatly longer than the first, and 

 has a long tuft of hair near the apes, the terminal 

 one is also a good deal produced. The antennas 

 are, at least, double the length of the head and 

 thorax, and thicken gradually at the extremity. The 

 anterior tarsus is considerably dilated and slightly 

 dentated ; claws simple. Such of the caterpillars as 

 have been described, differ remarkably from each 

 other, and some of them seem to have no analogy 

 with those of the neighbouring groups. This dis- 

 crepancy, in connexion with some others in the 

 perfect insects, has already led to the separation of 

 certain groups from Heliconia as it was formerly 

 constituted. The larva of H. Euterpe is robust and 



