CURIOUS NTBT. 441 



because the aperture is so small that they could not possibly 

 pass through it whien their wings were thoroughly expanded and 

 dried. Of what form and colour these wings might be, was for 

 a long time a mystery. Mr. Westwood, who first opened a nest, 

 carefully dissected some of the pupae, and by cautiously softening 

 the withered membranes in warm water, succeeded in spreading 

 but the wings sufficiently to learn the general form of the 

 nervures and the shape of the "cells," as the spaces between 

 the nervures are named. 



Specimens of the perfect insect have now been obtained, and 

 are seen to be butterflies closely resembling in shape the lovely 

 heliconidse, which are so plentiful in Southern America, but 

 of very simple colours, the general hue being blackish brown, 

 diversified by a broad, but indistinctly marked white band across 

 the wings. Examples of the nest have lately been sent to Vienna, 

 but any one who wishes to see the specimen from which the 

 above sketch and description were taken, may do so by visiting 

 the museum at Oxford, where the perfect butterflies may also 

 be seen. The scientific name of the butterfly is Hucheira 

 socialis. 



On the upper part of the same illustration may be seen a 

 curious object, that looks something like a flattened pincushion 

 fastened to the branches. This is the nest of a social insect, and 

 is, I believe, an unique specimen. It was brought from Tropical 

 Africa by Vernon WoUaston, Esq. and is so remarkable as to 

 deserve a detailed description. 



In length it measures eight inches, and in width five and a 

 half inches, its depth being about three inches. The aspect of 

 the exterior gives but little promise of the exceeding strength of 

 the structure, which is as hard and elastic as the side of a silk 

 hat, rebounding when pressed in precisely the same manner. 

 When cut, this covering is seen to be double, the outer case 

 being very thin, and formed of orange-brown silken threads, and 

 the inner being made of many successive layers of dark brown 

 sUk, so that it looks very like undressed leather. 



The most extraordinary part of the nest, however, is the 

 provision which is made for the exit of the inmates. Set upon 

 different parts of the nest are thirteen or fourteen little conical 

 protuberances, which do not project very far from the general 



