O. PRIAMOPTERA URVILLIANA. 



Papilio Urvilliana, GuCrin, Voyage de la Coquille. t. 13. f, 1, 2. (1829). 



Ornithoptera Urvilliana, Boisduval, Species Genera! I. p, 175. n. 2. t. 17. f. 1. (1836). (Suites a Bnffon. Ltpidopicres). 



0. Urv., d'Orbigny, Did. d'Histoire Naturelle, Atlas, Zoo!. II. Lipid, t. 1. (1S40). 



0. Urv., Doubleday and Hewitson, Gen. of Diurnal Lepidoptera, I, p. 42, (1846). 



0. d'Urvilliana, Clienuc, Encyclopedic d'Histoire Naturelle, p. 34 (1857?). 



0. Urvilliana, Salvin and Godman ; Proc. Zool. Soc, p. 147 (1877). 



Pap. Priamus, var. h. P. Urvilliana, Kirby, Synonymic Catalogue of Diurnal Lepidoptera., p. 517, (1871). 



0. Priamus, (v. Urvilliana) Dr. C. Fickert, Ueber de ZeiclnmngsverJtattnisst der Gattuitg Ornithoplcra, p, 712 (1889). 



0. Urvilliana, Oberthiir, Etudes d'Etitomologie (Cat. Raisonne de Pap. de la Coll. de Ch. Oberthiir), p. 29. 



The S of this species was first named by Guerin and 

 figured and briefly described by M. Lesson in the "Voyage 

 of the Coquille" in 1829. The type is in the Paris 

 Museum. 



In Boisduval's " Suites a Buffon " is a figure of the <? of 

 which only one side is fully drawn — the other being 

 merely in outline. 



Chenue, on page 34 of the vol. devoted to Papilionidas, 

 gives a woodcut of the under surface, with a description 

 copied from Boisduval. 



Lesson gives a short diagnosis : 



<? "A lis holosericeis supra cyano-violaceis, limbo nigro ; 

 anticis fascia longitudinali latissima posticis maculis submar- 

 ginalibus nigris, his dentatis." 



Wing, velvety ; above, with violet-blue, which is lost in 

 the black border (i.e. fringed with black atoms at the edges 

 of the general black ground) . Anterior wing with broadish 

 longitudinal band near the outer margin. Posterior 

 wing with submarginal black spots, and dentated (or 

 scalloped). 



Boisduval's description is longer : " Taille et port de 

 Priamus le vert des ailes superieures remplace par du bleu- 

 violet tres brilliant. Ailes inferieures d'un noir de velours, 

 ay ant les nervures et la partie comprise entre la cellule discoidale 

 et le bord interne ainsi que la bordure posterieure, d'un blue- 

 violet tres brilliant ; cinq laches noires, ovales-oblongues snr la 

 partie blue bord abdominal d'un jaune dore, garni de polls de 

 la meme coleur. Dessous des ailes superieures ayant a peu 

 pres la meme dessin que dans Priamus ; les taches vtolettes a 

 reflet d'un jaune dore. Dessous des inferieures d'un jaune 

 dore, a reflet bleu ou un peu verddtre sur le milieu ; sept taches 

 noires disposees comme dans priamus, mais plus petites que 

 celles du dessus ; une petite tache d'un jaune orange, peu 

 marquee, entre la base et la tache noire orbiculaire las plus 

 externe. Thorax noire, marquee d'un raie medaine violette. 

 Tete et antennes noires. Abdomen entirement d'un beau jaune. 

 Cotes de la poitrine marques d'un peu de rouge." 



Form and general appearance of priamus. The green 

 of the upper wings replaced by a very brilliant blue- 

 violet. Lower wings velvety-black, having the ner- 

 vures and the space within the discoidal cell, the 

 inner and the hind margin also of a brilliant blue- 

 violet ; five oblong oval black spots upon the blue. 



The abdominal of a yellowish gloss, garnished with 

 hairs of the same colour. Underside of superior wings 

 having nearly the same pattern as in priamus. The violet 

 spots reflecting a golden green. Underside of inferior 

 wings of a golden-yellow, reflecting a slightly greenish-blue 

 above the middle ; the black orbicular spots arranged as 

 in priamus, but smaller than those on the upper surface. A 

 small faint spot of orange yellow between the base and the 

 outer black spot. Thorax black, with a central ray of 

 violet. Head and antennae black. Abdomen entirely of 

 a beautiful yellow. Sides of the breast with a little red. 



The only two specimens known for many years, one of 

 which became the type of the species, were taken at Port 

 Praslin, New Ireland, by M. Durville, who, in the notes 

 which he wrote during his leisure times at Port Praslin, 

 says that "these butterflies fly slowly at the tops of the 

 trees, on the leaves of which they rest." The author also 

 considered this insect to be a var. of Priamus [p. 273, 

 Vol. II., Zoologie.] 



In the'-fig. published in the "Voyage of the Coquille" 

 the eyes are blue- violet. This is a mistake — the colour 

 being more nearly a dark madder brown. The differences 

 between the type and the specimen from which my fig. 

 was drawn are, that on the upper surface of the hind wings 

 four of the orbicular spots are larger than in mine, reaching 

 to the discocellular nervules, though starting from the same 

 point ; the fifth extends half-way down the space bounded 

 by the sub-costal and costal nervures ; the space included 

 in the discoidal cell is quite black, and is not graduated 

 by black atoms ; and between the first and second and 

 third median nervules is a blue lunular excavation in the 

 black border. Length of the costa in his insect 85 

 millimetres ; of hind wing 47 ; of antennae 35 ; breadth of 

 fore wing 44 ; of hind wing 37 mms. 



Dr. C. Fickert describes this species briefly — the most 

 notable part of his description being: "Die Vorderfliigel 

 zeigen unten die Zeichmmgsverhaltnisse von euphorion, nur 

 sind die Flecken blau statt grim." The fore-wings on 

 the underside exhibit the markings of euphorion; only the 

 spots are blue instead of green. He also speaks of the 

 head and breast as having the same appearance as those 

 of cassandra. " Kopf, Brust u.s.w. wie bei cassandra." 

 His specimen was from New Mecklenburg. 



In one $ in the Brit. Museum there are traces of scarlet 

 scales on the upper surface of the superior wings within 

 the pre-costal nervure ; and the colour patch containing 



41 



