THE HECTOR. 



407 



about their heads. This style of head-dress is much admired, and, indeed, is equally poetical 

 and artistic. Many of these insects differ greatly, according to sex, the upper wings of the 

 male Priam, for example, being velvety-black, striped with silky-green, and the hinder wings 

 entirely silky -green, spotted with black and orange ; while the female is dark brown, spotted 

 with white. 



In the genus Papilio we find the insects to be of nearly as magnificent proportions as in 

 the former genus, though none of them reach the enormous size of the Priam, which will 

 sometimes measure nearly eight inches across the spread wings. The colors are, however 

 more varied, and quite as brilliant, while a curious feature is often added by the prolongation 

 of the hinder wings into two long tail-like appendages. The larva is of varied form, some- 

 times smooth, sometimes covered with fleshy protuberances, sometimes long, and able to 

 throw out or to withdraw at pleasure the two first segments of the body, sometimes short, 

 thick, and grubdike, and in one or two instances marvellously resembling snails in the general 

 form. The genus is a very comprehensive one, including between two and three hundred 

 known species, among which may be found almost every imaginable tint in every gradation, 

 and exhibiting bold contrasts of color which scarcely any human artist would dare to place 

 together, and which yet produce 

 a result equally striking and 

 harmonious. 



Our first example is the 

 Sarpedon, one of the most 

 common of the genus, being 

 found plentifully throughout 

 many parts of Asia, Australia, 

 and the Sandwich Islands. Its 

 flight is rather swift, and easily 

 recognizable, and, in common 

 with many allied species, it has 

 regular beats, traversing the same 

 ground time after time with 

 almost mechanical regularity. 

 Entomologists take advantage of 

 this habit, and if they see one of 

 these butterflies pass over a 

 certain spot, they just go and sit 

 down where they saw the insect, 

 and catch it as it comes round on 

 its next circuit. 



The Hector forms a line 

 contrast to the preceding insect, 

 its colors being almost wholly 

 black and flaming crimson. On 

 its upper surface, the front pair 

 of wings are sooty-black, with a 

 broad dash of gray-brown over 

 the centre, and a little pencilling 

 of the same color near the tips ; and the lower wings are deep velvety-black, diversified with 

 spots of intense crimson. The wings have a very narrow edging of white. The chest and part 

 of the abdomen are black, and the head and rest of the abdomen of the same rich crimson as 

 the spots on the wings. The under surface is colored much in the same way, except that the 

 crimson spots are larger. 



On the large engraving at page 405, and in the right-hand lower comer, may be seen a, 



SAEPEDON.— Papilio mrpedon. 



n ECTO E.— Papilio h ector. 



