58 LEPIDOPTERA. 



meet the eye in every direction, varying from a silvery green to the deepes p F 

 and the whole surface glittering with the resplendence of highly polished meta . 



This splendid species was long confused with Papilio Menelaus of Linnasi 

 authors of the Encyclopedic Methodique, however, cleared up the confusion, prc-v 

 them to be quite distinct. The species, and indeed the entire group to which it belongs, 

 are, however, natives of South America. Sulzer, indeed, states that his specimen came 

 from China, and evidently on this authority Donovan introduced the species into this 

 work. 



Thea Laxa (Bohea, or broad-leaved Tea), is figured in the plate. Sir G. Staunton 

 says, the bohea tea is supplied in China from the province of Fochen : the green tea from 

 Kiang-nan. The leaves of these teas vary in some degree in form according to the age 

 of the plant ; those of the bohea are the broadest ; Thea stricta has much longer leaves, 

 they are lanceolated, and more deeply serrated than those of the bohea. Many authors 

 have considered them varieties of the same species. It flowers in England in August and 

 September. 



ACILEA VESTA. 



Plate 30. fig. 1. 



Family. HelicoxiidjE, Svjainson. 



Genus. Acr^ea, Fabricius. (Heliconia p. Fabricius olim.) 



Cn. Sp. A. alis oblongis integerrimis, utrinque corticinis ; omnium supra limbo posteriori 



fusco serieque punctorum interrupto. Expans. alar. 2| unc. 

 A. with the wings oblong and entire, of a pale yellow brown ; with a dark brown 



border in which are white spots. Expanse of the wings 1\ inches. 



Syn. Papilio (Helic.) Vesta, Jones. Fabr. Ent. Syst. 3. 1. p. 163. Enc Meth IX p 



233. 

 Papilio Terpsichore, Cramer Pap. pi. 298. /. A. B. C. 



Papilio Vesta is the only insect of the Heliconii division of Butterflies described 'n 

 Fabricius as peculiar to China, in his Ent. Syst., the majority being inhabitants of Africa 

 It 18 a -re species. The Papilio Vesta of Cramer is a very different insect, bein- the 

 Jr. Lrato of Fabricius. ° 



