iii. 



genus Cucullia " they are very large, and push forward 

 the thorax, so as to form a sort of hood over the head." 

 I may, however, add that in the latter case this elevation 

 is really the result of the large size of the patagia or 

 tippets which are placed at the sides of the pronotum, and 

 are more prominent than in any other genus which I can 

 call to mind at the present moment. In the genus 

 Xylina the paraptera are elongated, and give the sides of the 

 thorax an elevated appearance, with the centre depressed. 

 But perhaps the most lovely and interesting modification 

 of this character is to be met with in the European Angle- 

 shades moth, Phlogophora meticulosa, where the Paraptera 

 fold gracefully down the sides of the mesonotum in the 

 usual Avay, with a triangular elevated mass of hairy scales 

 with two greater lateral prominences, and a smaller one 

 below on the metanotum. The patagia cover nearly the 

 whole of the pronotum above, have a small central promi- 

 nence, and are ornamented with delicate curved lines 

 to look as if there were 6 patagia instead of two. 

 These wing covers if viewed from their under surface (see 

 fig. 17), appear to be very convex, and on the underside 

 evidently possess a complex organism if we may judge by 

 the multitudinous divisions of the thin membrane, and 

 the cellular appearance under this membrane. It is 

 evidently a highly organised scale, adhering to the base 

 of the wing only by a very small portion of its surface ; is 

 thick and somewhat corneus, probably with more than 

 one thin membrane beneath, or even several laminae, and 

 always clothed above with long hairs, which extend beyond 

 the outline of the paraptera itself, often to a 5th or 4th of 

 its length, The form of these organs is pretty constant 

 in the Ornithoptera ; but varies very much throughout 

 the Lepidoptera ; their office seems to be to cover the 

 muscles and veins at the base of the wings, for decoration, 

 and probably as a protection in some way to the breath- 

 ing organs. The shape of this scale does not appear to 

 differ materially in the two sexes. 



We are indebted for the different names applied to 

 these organs to the following authors : Pterygodes, 

 Latreille ; Paraptera, MacLeay ; tegulse, Kirby and Spence. 



Fig. 4. — There would seem to be some uncertainty in 

 the way different authors regard the number of the seg- 

 ments of the body or abdomen. In this fig. it will be seen 

 that on the right side I reckon 7 segments, including the 

 caudal or anal extremity. No. "6" and "6f." in the fig. only 

 represent one segment, as "6f" is only a prominent fold o 

 that segment. On the left hand side of the figure a small 

 section at the base of the meta-thorax is hypothetically 

 numbered "1?" and so on with the others down to "8?" 

 but a careful examination of the part with the microscope 

 appears to make it a continuation of the meta-thorax, 

 coming just below the scutellum ; though it probably is only 

 a folded portion of what on the right side I call the 1st 

 segment. In fig. 5, representing the $ abdomen, there are 

 8 annulations, including the anal segment : on the left 

 hand side, they are numbered from "1?" to "9?". Here, 

 by a reference to figs. 8 and 9, No. "1?" in each case 

 appears to be a distinct segment ; but it is by no means 

 certain that they may not be a small portion of the meta- 

 thorax. One thing is evident, the abdomen of the $ of 

 Ornithoptera consists apparently of one more segment 

 than that of the 2 . 



Figs. 10 and 11. — The shape of the parts of the face 

 below the villose tuft of the head appears to differ some- 

 what in the two sexes ; but the labial palpi are similar in 

 form, though very different in the relative length of the 



joints from those of other genera, especially in that of 

 Druryia, Papilio, and Serecinus. The Palpi are very 

 short, and are entirely, or nearly entirely concealed by 

 the dense mass of hairs, which partially also conceals the 

 spiritrompe when in a state of rest. 



Fig. 13. — The slender proboscis called by Latreille 

 Spiritrompe, or Spirignatha, (the latter name corrected by 

 Westwood to Speirignatha), Antilla by Kirby and Spence, 

 Liagua by Fabricius ; and Haustellum by general authors 

 is composed of two separate pieces, the analogues of the 

 maxillae or lower jaws of other orders of insects. These 

 two sub-cylindrical tubes vary greatly in length in the 

 different genera of the order. The junction of the two 

 is effected by a series of minute ducts (inoscula) or hooks 

 which link them together, thereby forming an intermediate 

 or central tube, through which the juices of flowers or 

 carrion, and the moisture of way-side pools, or the dew 

 on vegetation is conveyed to the mouth. It has been 

 supposed that the lateral tubes are for the reception 

 of air, but this cannot be established. At the 

 base of these a pair of relatively minute palpi is to be 

 found (Fig. xiv.), which in the Papilionidas are generally 

 hidden beneath the hairy scales round the mouth. These 

 spiral maxilla? are defended by a pair of longer palpi clothed 

 with scales, which are situated on the lower lip. This 

 beautiful organ is intended for the extraction of the nectar 

 from the bottoms of flowers ; and, when at rest, is spirally 

 folded up, and nearly hidden. Its greatest development 

 in length is probably among the Sphinx or Hawk moths. 

 The magnified section (Fig. 13, ba.2) will give some idea 

 of its structural beauty. 



Figs. 15a, 15b, 15c. — Are an endeavour to give the true 

 shape of each section of the thorax as seen laterally. It 

 may be mentioned that the Protheracic and Metathoracic 

 sections are moveable, the mesothoracic being much the 

 largest, and more rigid. It is possible to move the Pro- 

 thorax as easily as the femur of the anterior leg — indeed 

 in general appearance it is not unlike the femur, only 

 rather broader. In each section the femur sinks into a 

 groove when at rest, and in its normal position. The 

 anterior wings are affixed at their base to the mesothorax, 

 and beneath them in the space (B 2), is generally a mass 

 of coccineus hairs, beneath which evidently are the spir- 

 icles or openings of the organs of respiration, which as we 

 know, ramify through the whole of the organisation on a 

 dendritic plan. The posterior wings are also attached at 

 their base to the metathoracic section (Fig. 15c). As in 

 all insects each pair of legs is affixed to its respective sec- 

 tion of the thorax ; the first and second pair being nearer 

 together, and the third pair further removed. 



Fig. 16. — Represents the legs of the typical Ornithoptera. 

 Very slight differences may occur between those of the 

 <? and 2 ; somewhat greater obtain between those of diff- 

 erent genera, as may be observed by reference to other 

 plates in this work, especially in the character and 

 relative lengths of the tarsi of the anterior legs. The 

 ungues or tarsal claws are in Druryia longer than in 

 Ornithoptera, or something like those of Papilio, though 

 more like Ornithoptera in the form of the base. But 

 as a matter of fact the form of the ungues varies consider- 



*This segment of the thorax is usually the largest and most highly developed as 

 well as complex of the three in all orders of the Insecta ; but it attains its greatest 

 size in the order of the Diptera , where i t forms the principal part of the thorax. The 

 reason for this can be readily understood when we consider that to the mesothorax 

 are attached the 2nd pair of legs, and the pair of anterior wings. 



