Zoological Illustrations Volume I Part 7

_Antennae cylindraceae, juxta medium cra.s.sissimae, versus apicem subulatae, articulis numerosis brevissimis pene detectis. Palpi cra.s.si squamosi, fronte obtusa, lateribus compressis, marginibus exterioribus ciliatis, articulo ultimo nudo, producto, subhorizontali, lineari, compresso.

Oculi (in maribus) magni. Corpus (in maribus) 7-articulatum, articulo ultimo supra appendice transverso truncato subemarginato terminante, subtus duobus uncis recurvis obtusis, fasciculo tectis; articulo 1mo et ultimo brevissimis: (in foeminis) articulo ultimo producto, subac.u.minato._

Antennae cylindrical, thickest near the middle, the terminal half subulate; articulations numerous, very short, hardly perceptible. Palpi thick, scaly; frontal side obtuse; lateral sides compressed; the margins externally fringed with hair; the last joint naked, lengthened, nearly horizontal, linear, compressed. Eyes (in the male) very large.

Body (in the male) of seven joints, the last with a transverse, slightly emarginate, truncate appendage above; and two obtuse recurved hooks below, concealed by a tuft of hair; the first and last segment shortest. Body in the female with the last joint lengthened and pointed.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_I. alis supra fuscis, basi nitide-caerulea, posticis aurantio marginatis, subtus rufo-fusco nebulosis, basi puncto nigro: anticis (in maribus) basi aurantiis, macula nigra tomentosa._

Wings above fuscous, s.h.i.+ning blue at their base; posterior margined with orange; beneath clouded with rufous and brown, and a black dot at the base of the posterior wings. Anterior wings (in the male) orange at the base, and a large velvet-like spot of black.

The resplendent and changeable azure blue which ornaments the body and part of the wings in this very singular insect, can be but ill expressed in the figure. It is one of the many new and interesting subjects in entomology discovered in Java by Dr. Horsfield; and by his kindness and liberality I am enabled to add the figures of the caterpillar and chrysalis, which were copied out of a fine series of drawings made in Java under his own eye: they do not appear to differ in their formation from others of this family, although the perfect insect possesses such striking and peculiar generic characters; one of the many facts which prove the impossibility of making the _Larvae_ a primary consideration in forming the genera of Lepidoptera.

This is a rare insect, I have therefore been obliged to leave the generic character imperfect, as the dissection of the mouth, &c. would destroy the specimen. The posterior margin in the wings of the male is sinuated; in the female it is nearly straight; the underside of the wings in both s.e.xes is the same; the anterior pair reddish-brown, paler in the middle; the tip and posterior margin whitish: inferior wings reddish-orange towards the inner margin, with an obsolete central curved band of the same, and a black dot at the base of the inferior wings. The head, palpi, and thorax are margined with orange, less conspicuous in the female.

Our knowledge of the genus _Hesperia_ of Latreille (under which the present insect would come) is little more than what was known of _Scarabaeus_ twenty years ago; nor has Fabricius even noticed one half of the species figured by Cramer. The larva feeds on

GaeRTNERA _Javensis_

_Foliis ovatis, obtuse-ac.u.minatis, caule volubili ramosissimo, ramulis diffusis, deflexis,_

a new species, discovered in Java by Dr. Horsfield, who has distinguished it by the above specific character. He informs me the natives give it the name of _Kakas-rambat_, which last word signifies twining or trailing. In the inflorescence and fruit it differs not from _G. racemosa_.

Pl. 17

[Ill.u.s.tration]

BULIMUS zonatus.

_Zoned Bulimus._

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 4.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_B. testa laevi conica; spirae anfractibus quinque; ultimo aliquantulum distorto; albis duabus fasciis ferrugineis inaequalibus; anfractu basali rufo duabus albis fasciis; apertura alba._

Sh.e.l.l smooth, conic, of five volutions, the last somewhat distorted; white, with two unequal ferrugineous bands; body whirl rufous, with two white bands. Aperture white.

A small though very elegant sh.e.l.l, seldom seen in Collections; nor do I find such a description of it as will identify the species. One figured by Martini, at _tab._ 134, _fig._ 1215, comes near it, but differs sufficiently for a specific distinction.

Its precise locality is unknown: a fine specimen exists in my father's collection, who thinks it came from the East Indies; and this is the only one I have yet seen.

The aperture is more round than ovate, and is less than one half the total length of the sh.e.l.l; the outer lip much reflected, and the transverse bands on the spiral whirls nearly obsolete.

Pl. 18

[Ill.u.s.tration]

MITRA contracta.

_Contracted Mitre_--upper figure.

GENERIC CHARACTER.--_Pl._ 23.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_M. (Div. 3.) testa sublaevi; margine superiore anfractuum prominente, anfractu basali in medio contracto_

Sh.e.l.l nearly smooth; upper margin of the volutions prominent; basal whorl contracted in the middle.

An undescribed species, for the loan of which I am indebted to Mr. G.

Humphrey, of Leicester-street, whose knowledge as a collector, and integrity as a dealer, have gained him respect and confidence through a long life: and it is no less singular than true, that many genera of modern authors, now universally adopted, were formed by him near twenty-five years ago (under different names) in the _Museum Calonianum_, printed in 1797.

Sh.e.l.l one inch and a half long, and smooth; the base and spire with faint remote grooves; the spiral whorls are scarcely convex, and their upper margins prominent. Outer lip thick, effuse, slightly reflected below, and contracted above. Pillar five-plaited; colour yellowish white, with two or three waved longitudinal bands of orange, and a few others broad and remote on the spire. A finer specimen I have since seen with Mr. Humphrey's was one inch three quarters long, the ground-colour pure white, the aperture orange, and the bands rich orange-chesnut.

MITRA australis.

_New Holland Mitre._

_M. (Div. 2) testa laevissima; spira elongata; anfractibus basi castaneo-fuscis; fascia alba in basali anfractu, centrali. Columella 4-plicata._

Sh.e.l.l very smooth. Spire elongated, chesnut-brown; base of the spiral volutions with a whitish band, which is central on the basal whorl.