THE ARTAXERXES BUTTERFLY. 
Papilio Artaxerves.—Britain. 
PLATE XVIII. 
Papilio Artaxerxes, Mab. Ent. Sys. t. 3, p. 1. 297-129.— 
Donovan's Brit. Ins. xv. p. 1, pl. 541,—Rennie’s Consp. 
of But. p. 19. 
Tue antenne are elevated at the tip; the wings 
are entire, sooty black, or brownish black, with a 
white dot on the middle of the superior pair, and 
with rufous lunules on the inferior ones; margins 
beneath white, with rufous dots ; the under surface 
is of a pale brown, with numerous white eyelets, 
black in the centre. The male is lighter than the 
female. The extent of the wings is from one inch 
to an inch and a sixth. It appears in the winged 
state at the end of July. 
This insect was first discovered on Arthur Seat, 
near Edinburgh, by Dr Leach, and also on the 
Pentland Hills, near Edinburgh, by the same 
gentleman. ‘Till that period, it was esteemed as 
the highest possible rarity. It has also been found 
at Dumfries and in Deyonshire. 
The Papilio Artaxerxes is by no means striking 
in its appearance, but valuable on account of its 
rarity. 
