Part 13

SYN. Papilio (Pleb. rur.) Baucis, Drury, App. vol. 3.

HABITAT: "Sierra Leone, Mr. Smeathman, 1775" (Drury's MSS.).

Upper Side. Antennæ, thorax, and abdomen black. Anterior wings next the body nearly black, a third next the tips greyish brown, with a circular eye thereon; the iris being black and yellow, the pupil blue. A white streak rises on these wings, which crossing the posterior edges, ends at the middle of the posterior ones in a sharp point. Posterior wings blackish brown, the upper corners being greyish brown, where is a yellow mark, not unlike a human ear, the inner part being tinged with a shining blue colour. These wings are furnished with two broad tails, which suddenly become narrow and short, the tips white, and along the edges streaked with blue.

{16}Under Side. Palpi wanting. Feet yellow. Breast white. Anterior wings lighter coloured than on the upper side. The white streaks are very conspicuous, and near the tips is another streak of ash-colour. The eye at the tips is very discernible. Posterior wings lighter coloured on this side, being chiefly ash-colour, with a brown streak longitudinally placed, verged at the bottom with yellow and blue streaks. The ear-like mark is also very plain on this side.

PLATE XIII.

ACRÆA HYPATIA.

Plate XIII. fig. 1, 2.

ORDER: Lepidoptera. SECTION: Diurna. FAMILY: Heliconiidæ.

GENUS. ACRÆA, Fabr. Latr. God. Papilio (Helicon.), Drury.

ACRÆA HYPATIA. Alis oblongis integerrimis fulvis, punctis plurimis margineque externo nigris, posticarum eodem margine supra immaculato, subtus flavo maculato. (Expans. Alar. 2 unc. 6 lin.)

SYN. Papilio (Helic.) Hypatia, Drury, App. vol. 3. Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 1. p. 163. No. 504. Enc. Méth. ix. p. 232. (Acræa H.)

HABITAT: "Sierra Leone, Mr. Smeathman, 1776" (Drury's MSS.).

Upper Side. Antennæ black. Head yellowish. Thorax and abdomen brown; the former having two white spots near the neck, and two more at a little distance. The latter having several white spots, placed in pairs down to the anus. Wings fine flesh-coloured; anterior tipped with black, and verged with the same colour along their anterior and external edges. They are also clouded with black next the body, and have eleven distinct black spots on each, one of which next the tips is very long. Posterior wings having a broad black fringe along the external edges, and eleven distinct black spots on each, some of which are very small.

Under Side. Palpi yellow brown. Legs black and yellow. Breast black, spotted with white on its side. Wings nearly coloured as on the upper side; the anterior being not quite so brilliant, nor so strongly tipped with black. All the black spots on the outside of these wings are also seen here; but the black clouds next the body are wanting. Posterior wings next the body tinged with orange, and the black spots are much larger and more distinct and numerous than on the outside. Black fringe on the external edges, with seven white spots placed regularly, close to each other.

According to Mr. Smeathman, this butterfly and that represented in figures 3 and 4 of this plate, and indeed all the "Heliconii," are found in great numbers in those places where they breed, and are observed to bask and sport as much as possible in the sunshine, retiring towards sunset in great crowds to particular bushes. They breed chiefly in recent plantations, and near towns in general, so that, comparatively speaking, few of them are found in the ancient forests. Such however as inhabit them fly about the tops of the highest trees, seeking the honey from their flowers, and are seldom seen below.

{17}ACRÆA MENIPPE.

Plate XIII. fig. 3, 4.

ORDER: Lepidoptera. SECTION: Diurna. FAMILY: Heliconiidæ.

GENUS. ACRÆA, Fabr. Latr. God. Papilio (Helicon.), Drury.

ACRÆA MENIPPE. Alis oblongis integerrimis, anticis suprà fuscis nigro-punctatis; ad apicem fasciâ abbreviatâ maculisque marginalibus albidis; posticis fasciâ fulvâ latâ transversâ. (Expans. Alar. 3 unc. 3 lin.)

SYN. Papilio (Helic.) Menippe, Drury, App. vol. 3. Stoll. Suppl. Cram. pl. 28. fig. 1. Herbst. tab. 81. f. 4. 5.

Papilio H. Zetes? Linn. Syst. Nat. 2. 766. No. 110.

Acræa Zethea, Enc. Méth. ix. p. 236.

HABITAT: Sierra Leone, and other parts of the Western Coast of Africa.

Upper Side. Antennæ black. Thorax black, with a row of four faint white spots next the neck. Abdomen at the base black, with yellow spots on the sides, the extremity being yellowish. Anterior wings very dark brown, almost black, clouded with faint dark orange marks and dark yellow spots, particularly along the external edges. Posterior wings deep orange, clouded with black next the body, and a deep black border along the external edges, with a row of eight small red spots running along the middle of it: these wings have also seven, eight, or more black spots on them.

Under Side. Palpi yellowish. Breast black, spotted with white on its sides. Anterior wings dusky orange-brown along the external edges, whereon is a row of dark orange oval spots, a whiteish cloud next them, and several different shaped black spots on the other part of the wings. Posterior wings cream-coloured, verged along the external edges with black, whereon is a row of white spots, and above it a row of small and very faint red ones: these wings next the body have a patch of a deep black, spotted with white, and verged with faint orange, and also several black spots.

This insect has been regarded as the Zetes of Linnæus; it does not appear however to agree with the Linnæan description, in which the anterior wings are said to be "nebulosis, punctatis:" nor with the habitat "in Indiis" given of that species.

HELICONIA GAZORIA.