PLATE C. 



Papilio Antimachus is a magnificent example of its tribe in 

 point of size, and one moreover of the most remarkable, as well in 

 the singularity of its form as beauty of its colouring, that this elegant 

 race of insects can present ; it is also extremely rare, and under the 

 peculiar circumstances which we have to mention further, the plates 

 which are now submitted to the reader in illustration of the species, 

 may possibly render them of more than usual interest. It should be 

 premised that the only authentic figure of this Papilio that has 

 hitherto appeared before the public is to be found in the first plate 

 of the third volume of Drury's work on Exotic Insects. That figure 

 was copied from the original specimen in the cabinet of Mr. Drury, 

 by Moses Harris, and from the many opportunities which an unre- 

 served access to that inestimable cabinet had formerly afforded us of 

 investigating the species, we may venture to add, that although the 

 execution is somewhat coarse^ it is by no means destitute of fidelity. 

 In stating this, we refer, however, only to the original copies of the 

 work published by the author, for those manufactured by the 

 venders of the work, into whose hands the plates have fallen since his 

 death, cannot be expected to possess the same degree of excellence 

 as the original copies, perfected under the inspection of the author, 

 and these are now become extremely rare. Were the scarcity of 

 those original copies our sole inducement for the introduction of the 

 present plates of Papilio Antimachus into the present work, we should 

 rest persuaded it would be esteemed a sufficient reason, but there are 

 others, — the pencil of Moses Harris, as an artist, was certainly sur- 

 passed by that of Mr. Jones in the delineation of this particular 

 tribe of insects ; many years of the life of Mr. Jones had been devoted 

 to the subject, and among his numerous drawings we find two 

 figures of this interesting species, one presenting the upper surface 



