Genus, ^THEOPTERA, Mihl* 



6* . Primary wings subtriangular, also long and narrow by 

 comparison with the secondaries ; anal angle impercepti- 

 ble or non-existent— the posterior and interior margins 

 being united by a continuous curve to the apex ; costa 

 only slightly arched from the base to within a short 

 distance from the apex where the curvature is much 

 greater ; secondaries narrow and elongated as in some 

 true Papilios ; inner margin deeply incised to nearly a 

 third of the wing length — thereby greatly shortening the 

 submedian nervure — the abdominal fold extending from 

 the anal angle to the base ; along this vein on the under- 

 side proceeds the line of inner marginal cilia? which are 

 fairly long and very prominent ; the median nervure of 

 the primaries stout and prominent, as is also the internal 

 nervure ; the other veins of both wings are delicate in 

 structure, though much emphasized on the under surface 

 in parts by black; the three median branches of the 

 primaries very close together, and somewhat bent in 

 passing through the area of the stigmatic brand ; the 

 submedian nervure is also much curved or bent ; the 2nd 

 discocellular nervule is much curved, and bent somewhat 

 before its junction with the ist, it is also nearly twice 

 the length of the ist ; the discoidal cell very broad and 

 peculiar in form, occupying nearly 2-3rds of the width 

 of the wing, and nearly one-half its length : the cell 

 of the secondaries long and much narrower — the 2nd 

 division of the subcostal nervure bent inward in its course. 

 The pseudoneura of the primaries as usual are four in 

 number, the ist branching from the 4th, at a short distance 

 from the base of the cell, the 3rd a little above, and the 

 2nd a little above the 3rd and proceeding direct to the 

 bent portion of the 2nd discocellular nervule : the 3rd and 

 4th within one-third of the distal portion of the cell 

 proceed in a somewhat sinuous course, one towards the 

 2nd discoidal nervule, and the other to midway of the ist 

 and 2nd median branches ; the two pseudoneura of the 

 secondary cell branch off from the main stem at a 

 short distance from the pre-costal nervure, the ist termi- 

 nating at the ist discocellular nervule, and the second on 

 the 3rd division of the median nervule : all these can be 

 easily seen. 



Head, eyes, and thorax black, the palpi hidden by 

 a dense tuft of velvety hairs ; thorax very pilose ; 



antennas and legs black. Thorax without any green 

 longitudinal striga. Abdomen long and sufficiently broad, 

 anal segment subtriangulate and broader at its apex than 

 the other segments. The anal valves most nearly resem- 

 ble in outline on their underside those of the genus 

 Pompeoptera. Haustellum quite long : and the femora and 

 trochanters of the legs spring from amidst dense masses 

 of black hairs. 



The sericeous stigmatic mark or $ brand in the 

 primaries is pupasform, narrow, and larger than in Priamus 

 and its allies, is situated closer to the interior margin than 

 in Priamus, is intensely bluish black, and thrown more 

 into relief by the pearly opalescent character of the black 

 within the cell, and outside the median branches, 

 and above and below the stigma, an arrangement evidently 

 intended to render the latter more conspicuous, as well 

 as to intensify the beauty of the insect. 



2 . Primaries subtriangular ; evenly arched at the 

 costa ; posterior margin somewhat incurved midway from 

 the anterior angle ; interior margin nearly straight, but 

 at the anal angle curving into the posterior margin ; dis- 

 coidal cell large, nearly half the length of the costa and very 

 broad at the distal end ; the three discocellular nervules 

 of equal length ; nervures and nervules only moderately 

 robust for so large an insect ; pseudoneura arranged as in 

 $ , but more obscure ; secondaries rather narrow and 

 long; costa rather straight along its course, though 

 slightly incurved 2-3rds from the base ; posterior margin 

 from the apex equally lunate ; abdominal margin nearly 

 straight ; discoidal cell narrow, and something less than 

 one-half of length of wing ; veins moderately robust as 

 above — the median being fairly stout. 



Head : eyes very prominent and dark ; palpi rather 

 larger than usual, but concealed by the pilose tuft ; 

 antennas black. Thorax black, without central striga, 

 and pilose ; also black beneath ; legs long and not very 

 stout ; abdomen long and moderately narrow- — the anal 

 segment being the narrowest. Type of the genus, Orni- 

 thoptera Victoria. 



•Since writing the diagnosis of the Genus ORNITHOPTERA, I have decided, for what I believe to be go 



Pompeoptera to full generic rank. Priamoptera will remain a section of Ornithoptera. 



jEtheoptera, Irogonoptera, and 



