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Genus HELICONIA. 
This beautiful genus is easily recognized by its pe- 
culiar aspect, as well as by tbe more precise cha- 
racters which it affords. The anterior wings are 
long, narrow, and entire, and the hinder pair often 
recede considerably from the abdomen, which is 
long and slender. The breadth of the insect, there- 
fore, when flying, always greatly exceeds its length. 
No lepidopterous insect is ever entirely without 
scales, but in a section of this group, they are so 
few and minute as to leave the wings perfectly trans- 
parent. The palpi rise obviously above the head ; 
the second joint is greatly longer than the first, and 
has a long tuft of hair near the apex, the terminal 
one is also a good deal produced. The antennae 
are, at least, double the length of the head and 
thorax, and thicken gradually at the extremity. The 
anterior tarsus is considerably dilated and slightly 
dentated ; claws simple. Such of the caterpillars as 
have been described, differ remarkably from each 
other, and some of them seem to have no analogy 
with those of the neighbouring groups. This dis- 
crepancy, in connexion with some others in the 
perfect insects, has already led to the separation of 
certain groups from Heliconia as it was formerly 
constituted. The larva of II. Euterpe is robust and 
