49 



Boisduval informs us that this species " est tres commune a quatie 

 k cinq lieues dans Tinterieur du pays sur les Mimosa. Les cafres se 

 servent du cocon qui est trcs-gros et tres-solide pour se faire des 

 tabatieres. Pour cela ils y font un trou pour extraire la chrysalide, 

 et ils le bouchent ensuite avec une cheville de bois." 



A beautiful figure of this species is given by Mr. Angas in his 

 plate of Zoolu Moths, fig. 18. 



This is evidently the species alluded to in the following note, pub- 

 lished by M. Signoret in the Journal of the Proceedings of the 

 Entomological Society of France, Annales 1845, p. xcvii : — " M. V. 

 Signoret presente a la Societe un dessin d'une nouvelle espece appar- 

 tenant au genre Saturnia, et il communique une note a ce sujet. M. 

 V. Signoret dit que le Chenille de cette espece est inconnue, que les 

 chrysalides en furent trouvees en Novembre 1844, sur un Mimosa 

 pres de la riviere Toogela, liniite des frontieres du royaume Aucayoolao, 

 situe entre Lugoo-Baie et Port-Natal : I'insecte parfait a ete rapporte 

 par M. Campion de Douai, et notre collogue propose a la Socie'te de 

 lui appliquer le nom de Saturnia Campionea." 



Sp. 12. Saturnia Argus, Fabr. tS. omnibus pallide carneo- 

 albidis, anticis margine postico rotundatis, disco punctis sex 

 in medio approximatis,fenestratis, annulofulvo nigroque cinctis; 

 posticis punctis qninque sparsis ejusdem coloris ; margine anali 

 in caudam longissimam extenso. 



Expans. alar, antic, une. 3, long. alar, postic. une. 4. 



Hab. the Isle of Banana (Smeathmann). 



In Mus. Britann., Banks. (Lmn. Soc), Westwood, &c. 



Syn. Bombyx Argus, Fabr. Ent. Syst. 1 1 1 a. p. 414 ; Stoll, 27. 1 ; 

 Donov. Nat. Repos. 5. 1/3; Oliv.'Enc. Meth. 5. 29. 22; Drury, 

 Ent. vol. iii. pi. 29. fig. 1. Phalcena brachyura, Cramer, Ins. pi. 29. 

 fig. 1. Eudcemonia Uroarge, Hiibuer, Verz. No. 1.586. 



The fore-wings are considerably rounded along the apical margin, 

 and the tails of the hind-wings are much longer in proportion than 

 in MimoscE, Luna, &c. The veins of the fore-wings are similarly ar- 

 ranged to those of S. Mimosce, &c., but those of the hind-v\ings are 

 peculiar in having the veinlet which connects the inner branch of the 

 post-costal vein and the outer branch of the median vein closing the 

 discoidal cell so oblique (as well as subangulated in the middle), that 

 it seems like a real fourth branch of the post-costal, running down 

 within the outer margin of the tail, the base of the outer branch of 

 the median vein being so thin and short that it resembles the ordinary 

 condition of the veinlet closing the cell, although its nearly longitudi- 

 nal direction indicates its real nature as a branch of the median vein*. 



* Saturnia {Eudamonia) Semiramis, Cramer, pi. 13 A, differs materially in the 

 veining of its wings from S. Argus. In the fore-wings the inner branch of the 

 post-costal vein, instead of arising from the preceding branch in an acute fork, as 

 in the typical Saturnice, arises from the middle of the transverse vein closing the 

 discoidal cell, whilst in the hind-wings the inner branch of the post-costal vein 

 runs within the outer edge of the tail throughout its whole length, the first 

 branch of the median vein arising nearly opposite to the base of the tail, and the 

 second branch at some length down the tail. 



No. CXCIII, — Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



