ENTOMOLOGY. 



its grandeur, as an insect altogether undescribed, that he determined 

 upon assigning to it some name of pre-eminent distinction. The 

 tribe of insects to which it naturally appertains in systematic classifi- 

 cation, is that of the Equites Achivi ; all the species of which are 

 named after the Greeks, and more especially of those commemorated 

 in the Iliad and the Odyssey: the heroes of the Trojan war. This 

 rule determined his choice, and we may readily conceive his admira- 

 tion of the species from the name selected upon this occasion, Papilio 

 Homerus* If Homer had no claim to be considered as a Greek, he 

 had sang the achievements of the Grecian heroes, and had mourned 

 the fall of Troy ; and Fabricius disposed alike to compliment the im- 

 mortal bard, and define the species by an appellation more than usually 

 superlative, has consecrated it to the memory of that ancient poet. 



If we advert to the writings of Fabricius, it will be found that 

 this author refers for a figure of this fine Papilio solely to the Paint- 

 ings of Mr. Jones. The reference is to the eighth drawing of the 

 first volume of his collectanea. This is perfectly correct, the figure 

 occurs in that collection of paintings as Fabricius states, and in the 

 part described. We have not only seen it there with the name 

 assigned to it in Entomologia Systematica Papilio Homerus 

 inscribed in the hand-writing of Fabricius, but are at this time in 

 possession of an exact copy of that drawing, taken by the express 

 permission of its former very worthy proprietor ; and it is from this 

 copy of the original drawing so inscribed by Fabricius himself, that 

 the very beautiful figure is taken which accompanies the present 

 description. 



Nothwithstanding the general accuracy with which Fabricius 

 has related the local circumstances connected with the history of the 



