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THE
BOOK OF BUTTERFLIES,
‘SPHINGES, AND MOTHS.
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LITERATURE, SCIENCE & THE ARTS VOL. LXXX.
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THE BOOK OF BUTTERFLIES VOL.III.
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Insecta )
‘BOOK OF BUTTERFLIES, ||
SPHINGES, AND MOTHS;
ILLUSTRATED BY
ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FOUR ENGRAVINGS,
COLOURED AFTER NATURE.
BY
CAPTAIN THOMAS ‘BROWN!
ELLOW OF THE LINNEZAN SOCIETY, MEMBER OF THE WERNERIAN, KIRWANIAN, AND PHRENOLOGICAL SOCIETIES, AND PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL PHYSICAL SOCIETY.
‘IN THREE VOLUMES. % vty a. \ ie VOL. IIT: d 4)2 E ¥ — S — . \\ LONDON : WHITTAKER & CO.; AND WAUGH & IN NES, EDINBURGH,
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_ CONTENTS.
, Mora, R . . : . é . 9 9DERN ARRANGEMENT OF LepipopTerRovus Insects, 11
- Orver Lepmorrera,—Linneus, —. ¥ ib. Tree I.—Drurna, ’ s : ib. Famity I.—Papitionipes, .* é 12
1, Hexapoda, =. | ‘ ? ib. ' 2. Perlata, ¢ ; : ar ie
3. Argus, . : ‘ . a: ae Genus Papii10,—Latreille, : 7 ib. Genus Vanrssa,—Latreille, } ee | Genus Potyommatus,—Latreille, : ib.
Famity IJ.—Hesperipes, < 3 ib.
Genus Hesper1a,—Latreille, d 22
Trise I].—Crepuscunaria, © é ib.
Famity I. < sSbespear.Siyaxncne;hoaaistitt Tt ois Genus Castn1a,—Latreille, é ib.
Famity II.—Spurneipes,—Latreille, : ib. Genus Spuinx,—Latreille, =. 24
\
vi CONTENTS.
Famity Il].—Zycxnives,—Latreille, . Genus Zycana,—Fabricius, . Trise IT]. Nocturna, : R Famity I.—Bomsycites,—Latreille, : Genus Bomsyx,—Fabricius, . Famity I].—Noctvo-BomsycirTEs, ; Genus Cossus,—Latreille, Famity II].—Tineires, Latreille, Genus Trnea,—Latreille, m Famity IV.—NoctTv2z ites, ; ‘ Genus Noctua,—Fabricius, . Famity V.—Torrrices,—Latreille, ‘ Genus Pyrauis,—Latreille, . Famity VI.—Pua.tanites,—Latreille, ‘ Genus Puata#ana,—Latreille, < Famity VII.—Cramaites,—Latreille, Genus Crameavs, Latreille, Famity VIII.—Preropnonrites,—Latreille,
Genus Preropnorvus,—Latreille,
The Paralecta Butterfly, .
The Idalia Butterfly, . . The Vidura Butterfly, ‘ ° The Thyria Butterfly, . 5 ene The Ebule Butterfly, ‘ .
The Atymnus Butterfly, . ‘ The Heckuba Butterfly, : . | .
ib.
CONTENTS. vii
. Page The Diomedes Butterfly, ‘ y 51
The Sakuni Butterfly, : : , 52 “The Sugriva Butterfly, . Md 53 The American Comma Butterfly, < , 54 | The Golden Copper Butterfly, 3 ‘ 55 The Ravindra Butterfly, : ‘ " 56 The Agnor Butterfly, : : ‘ 57 The Arjuna Butterfly, her, SUE Yael AB The Single Spot Butterfly, ; , 60 pre White Admirable Butterfly, : : 61 The Artaxerxes Butterfly, é 5 62 The Azure-Blue Butterfly, ; . , 63
Drury’s Sphinx, . ; 65
The Clear Winged Humsning Sphinx, : . 66
The Convolvulus Sphinx, . d é 67
The Lime Hawk Moth, : : . 69 The Clifden Nonpareil Moth, ‘ . 71 ‘The Dartford Emerald Moth, . 5 . Agha ‘The Proserpina Moth, . . : 75 ‘The Broom Moth, . , ; > 77 ‘The Brown Tail Moth, . ‘ . 79 Common Silver-Line Moth, R ¢ P 85 c Gray Scolloped Bar Moth, ° ; me ‘The Great Egger Moth, : ‘ , 88 The Golden Yellow Moth, . . 90 ‘The Peppered Moth, ; t wg!
‘The Micilia Moth, ; 93
:
Vili CONTENTS.
The Emperor Moth, ; ot ; ° eee The Puss Moth, Sacaal } tard The Pebble Prominent Moth, ‘ fis ‘ The Lincea Moth,. . . AF dituee! re
The Sprinkling Moth, - . : ont
The Euphemia Moth, : , The Medarda Moth, : " ‘ The Butterfly Moth,
The Soldier Moth, ; ° . The Meon Moth, , ¥
The Lectrix Moth,
The White Spotted Moth, . ar
The Brisk Moth, The Tusseh Silkworm Moth, The Arrindy Silkworm Moth,
Curnese Move or Rearine Sitkworms, Indian Method of ‘Treatment,
_ Diseases of Silkworms,
On the Chemical Properties ef Silk, . vite Electrical Properties of Silk,
Miscellaneous Facts, ; ’ 8 Migrations of Papilionaceous Insects, ’
Organs of Hearing, P ‘
Method of Collecting Butterflies, Sphinges, and Moth;
OF Setting Lepidoptera, ; a
On Preserving Eggs of Lepidoptera, : wh
_ Remarks on the Preservation of Lepidopterous Insects, 1
* J
CONTENTS.
Of Larve or Caterpillars, Of Pupe, The Insect Cabinet,
Method of Transporting Insects,
Instruments used in Collecting, Setting, and Preserving
Butterflies, Sphinges, and Moths, The Entomological Net, The Folding Net, The Hoop Net, - Maclean’s Elastic Net, ° Entomological Forceps, Pocket Collecting Box, Collecting Phial, Pocket Larve Box, : Brass Pliars, A Digger, Setting Needle, Pins, Setting Boards, Braces, Store Boxes, The Breeding Cage,
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A MORAL FoR
CAPTAIN BROWN’S BOOK OF BUTTERFLIES, By
CHARLES DOYNE SILLERY, ESQ.
AUTHOR oF “ VALLERY,” &c.
Minions of Nature !—Creatures of the skies ! Ye bright-wing’d flutterers! sunborn butterflies ! From flower to flower o’er nectar’d fields ye go, Peerless in beauty! atoms of the bow!
Ye living gems ! ye fairy-formed things !
__ Floating in bliss, on gold-bespangled wings !
} Oh! how enraptured would this spirit be,
7 Freely to soar through ambient heavens, as ye ! ’
Where is the silken shroud ? the grov’ling worm ? Where now the veil which once enshrined each form ? Where the cold, lifeless chrysalis of clay ?
In gold! in glory! in the blaze of day!
_ VOL. III. B
G
10
~
A MORAL.’
I pause and ponder here.—Like you, mankind
Are born, frail insect! ignorant and blind ;
Man’s mind—his heart, in dust and darkness furl’d, His bright soul’s clouded by a wintry world.
But when this dream of life hath pass’d away— When this pure spirit bursts her bonds of clay ; Ah! then what hope to trembling man is given— The bless’d shall mingle with the blaze of heaven !
THE
BOOK OF BUTTERFLIES.
“MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS.
|
' Accorptne to the classification of the celebrated Latreille, the Papilionaceous, or Lepidopterous in- ‘sects are comprehended in his Ninth Order, under the title of LEprpoprERa.
ORDER LEPIDOPTERA, Linneus.
Lepidopterous insects have four membranaceous wings, covered with a farina, composed of small scales, and are provided with a trunk rolled ie in a spiral form at the mouth.
| Trisz I.—DIURNA.
“Wings always free in repose, placed perpendicular to the plane of position, and destitute of a bridle or scaly bristle at the base of the lower wings ; the antenne in many of the species terminated
12 MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF
in a small club or button, more or less conical or triangular ; in others, slender and hooked at tip. The insects of this tribe fly and feed by day. The cater- pillars have sixteen feet, and live on vegetables. The pupa) are generally naked, or destitute of a cocoon, fixed to substances: by the posterior extremity of the body, and in many by a silky fillet, forming a kind of half ring at the upper part of the body,
FamiLy ].—PAPILionIvgEs.
With four wings, elevated perpendicularly in a state: of repose ; the antenne having a club-shaped termination, or almost filiform, without hooks at the tip, with the exception of one genus, in which they are setaceous and plumose in one 0 the sexes ; the legs are provided with one pair spurs or spines.
Subdivision J. Third joint ‘of the labial palpi very small an hardly perceptible, or very apparent, and furnished with scales ; hooks at the end of the tarsi projecting ; caterpillar’ elongated, subcylindrical ; chrysalis of an angular shape.
Subdivision Il. Six feet, formed for walking, or nearly similar in both sexes; chrysalis fixed by a silky band by its pos. terior extremity, or inclosed in a thick cocoon ; central areola of the lower wings posteriorly closed.
1. Hexapoda.
A. Internal margin of the lower wings concave. The genera are Papitro, Parnasstus, and Twats.
B, Internal margin of the lower wings arched, and projecting over the abdomen to form a canal. The genera are Contras and Pigrts.
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 13:
I. The two anterior feet shorter than the others, folded, not _ ambulatory, in both sexes, or in the males only ; chrysalis fixed by its posterior extremity, and suspended with the head downwards ; central areola of the lower wings open poste- riorly in many species. A. The central areola of the lower wings is always posteriorly closed ; the two anterior feet, although small and folded, very ° similar to the others; the lower wings in general scarcely embracing the abdomen below ; labial palpi slightly elevated above the hood, much separated, slender, cylindrical. The genera are Danaus, Ipza, Heticontvus, and Acrza.
B. Central areola of the lower wings open in many species ; two anterior feet often minute and concealed, or apparent
_ and very hairy; lower wings embracing the abdomen below ; labial palpi rising above the hood, slender and cylindrical, and not distant.
a. Central areola of the lower wings open posteriorly.
* The labial palpi are either separated through their whole
length, or merely at their extremity, and abruptly terminated by a slender and a circular joint.
2. Perlata.
The genera are Cetsosia and ArGynnis. ** The inferior palpi are contiguous through all their extent, and not terminated abruptly by a slender and acicular joint. + The antenne are terminated in a small club, in the form of a button, short, turbinated, or ovoid ; caterpillar thickly beset with spines. Contains one genus, VANESSA.
++ Antenne terminated in an elongated club, or nearly fili- form ; caterpillar naked or slightly spinous, with the poste-
_ rior extremity terminated in a bifid point.
} The genera are Lisytuea, Bretis, Nympwacis, and
‘ Morpno.
34. MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF
b. The central areola of the lower wings posteriorly closed. The genera are Pavonra, Brassotus, Evrisius, and © Satyruvs. :
In the Dutch work, De Wonderen Gods, we have the following interesting information concerning the transformations of the Alderman Butterfly, Am-_ miralis Atalanta of Rennie, by J. C. Sepp of Am- sterdam :-—
“ Like all other butterflies, this species originates from an egg, which, however, is very rarely met with, because it is very small and green ; almost indeed of the same colour as the stinging nettle, (Urtica dioica,) on which it is laid by the mother butterfly, and therefore easily overlooked.
* Although I had found, for many years succes— sively, and in considerable numbers, the caterpillars and the butterflies of this species, I was long un- successful in procuring any of the eggs; but at last I succeeded, having found one on the 6th of July, | at the very moment the mother butterfly had laid it, - and it hatched as well as any other of this class. I found others afterwards, which had perhaps been longer deposited, and they likewise hatched, and I reared butterflies from them; so that now I know their whole manner of life, and their several trans- formations, and am enabled to detail these to the reader from my own observation. |
« As soon as the infant caterpillar is hatched, it begins to eat directly, and to look out for a place
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 15
to live in. Providence has given it the faculty of _ spinning certain threads ; and, after selecting a leaf, it draws it together, by means of these, into a roundish hollow form, leaving for the most part an opening into the interior before and behind. The leaf, when thus drawn together, serves as a house } or tent for the little creature, and at the same time furnishes it with food; and hence the longer it lives in it the more perforated it becomes. When
} at length it has gnawed so much of the leaf as
renders it so full of holes that it becomes useless, the caterpillar quits it, and goes to another leaf, pro- ceeding in the same way as it did with the first. Accordingly, when we are desirous of finding these caterpillars, we must search for them on those nettle leaves which are drawn together. I may mention, however, that not more than one cater- pillar will be found on a single leaf.
- © The circumstance of hiding within a folded leaf, is not usual with every spiny caterpillar; and it _ appears to me, that this species does so, more from a peculiar liking to live solitary than from any fear _ of danger, inasmuch as they are exposed to no more danger or hardship than other spiny caterpillars, which roam about freely and openly on the leaves. This species, besides, is quite as hardy as the others, with respect to enduring cold and heat ; and they are as much persecuted by parasite flies, (Ichneu- monidee,) which lay eggs in their bodies, as are
16 MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF
other spiny caterpillars; nor is their dwelling i the folded leaf so securely constructed, as to prevent the intrusion of such unwelcome visiters, a circum stance always attended with a mortal result.”
Professor Rennie mentions a similar circumstance He says, “‘ We happened to see a remarkable in. stance of this last summer, (1828,) in the case one of the Lilac caterpillars, which had changed into a chrysalis within the closely folded leaf. A small ichneumon, aware, it should seem, of the very spot where the chrysalis lay within the leaf, was seen boring through it with her ovipositor, and introducing her eggs, through the punctures thus made, into the body of the dormant insect. We allowed her to lay all her eggs, about six in num- ber, and then put the leaf under an inverted glass, In a few days the eggs of the Cuckoo Fly were hatched, the grubs devoured the lilae chrysalis, and finally changed into pupe, in a case of yellow silk, | and into perfect insects like their parent.” * _
« There must then,” continues M. Sepp, “ I think, be some other reason for these caterpillars hiding themselves in this manner, and I am in- clined to believe it can be no other than their de- sire to be solitary. In accordance with this view, we find the eggs always laid singly and apart ; and it is well known to naturalists, that all cater-
* Insect Architecture, p. 174,
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 17
originating from eggs thus deposited are solitary, as those originating from clustered eggs re gregarious. The latter moreover remain in company so long as they are in the caterpillar state, while the former always occur dispersed, and lead a solitary life. In this manner, then, the caterpillars under notice live from the time they are hatched, and even exhibit the same disposition when they prepare for their change into the chrysalis state, as shall afterwards see. _ As to their manner of growth, such caterpillars er widely from other animals which grow re- jlarly in all their parts as they are supplied with hment ; but our caterpillars, on the contrary, w only in their inward parts, whose increase puffs out the skin or outer covering that does not grow, and hence becomes too small, so that at length it must give way. In fact, it actually does 80, and this happens more than once during its life ; a circumstance which I term the casting of the skin, and which is thus performed: A few days before he skin is cast, the caterpillar remains nearly sta. ary in the same place, and leaves off eating. = this period, the neck or hind part of the head may be observed to swell, in consequence of which the old skin becomes more stretched, the inner skin is separated from the outer, and in some smooth caterpillars the head may be decerned shi- ning through. The old skin becomes gradually
feet. Afterwards, by repeated movements, the caterpillar strips off the old skin altogether, and appears in a new dress, which, as far as regards the one under our notice, differs little from the old one in colour and appearance. The head, however, is é little larger, as are the spines and small hairs.
*« With respect to the latter, it is remarkable that the new spines and hairs appear to have been inserted in the old ones as in sheaths, from which they are drawn out when the skin is cast. I infer from this circumstance, that these spines and hai are hollow, though in consequence of their minute- ness, some of them being barely visible to the naked eye, we cannot well demonstrate this otherwise Who, I may ask, does not perceive in this wonder- ful fact, the incomprehensible operations of an all- powerful Creator! and where is the man who could imitate these astonishing productions ?
“ Our caterpillar, after casting its skin and rest- ing a little, begins again to eat the leaves of the’ nettle. I may mention, that all caterpillars do not cast their skins the same number of times ; but: with respect to the present ones, they cast their skins four times, and as they grow quickly, the castings closely follow each other, at due intervals between. I have traced this in two of these cater-
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 19
Willars, which were hatched from eggs the 12th of uly, in the following order. Their first casting of the ins occurred on the 14th, the second on the 17th, tithe third on the 21st, and the fourth on the 26th. They then continued to eat and grow till the 15th of August, when, having completed their growth, d reached their full age as caterpillars, they left off eating, and prepared for entering upon their }second stage of life, namely, that of chrysalis, which has no resemblance to the caterpillar. This change took place on the 17th of August. __ “It hence appears, that the first stage of life, or ‘the caterpillar state of this insect, only lasts for five omplete weeks ; but I must remark, that in rear- ing the caterpillars for the purpose of observing their changes, they must have fresh food every day, and ‘In a warm day twice, otherwise they will not thrive. | ** The cover of the box where they are kept, ought to have small holes in it for the admission of fresh air ; or it may be covered with crape or gauze. ‘It ought not to be shallow ; for if so, the wings of ‘the butterfly, when it comes forth, may be bent or ‘injured. _ “ We have thus seen our insect in its first stages of life ; but it is destined to arrive at a higher stage of existence, and is born to be admired, though it does not reach this stage till it has undergone sick- ness and suffering, with hardly any apparent sign
20 MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF
of life. Ina short time, however, it awakes its trance, and appears full of animation; and richly ornamented.” * ii
II, Having the third or last joint of the labial palpi very dis- tinct, naked, or less furnished with scales or hairs than the preceding; hooks of the tarsi scarcely visible; caterpillar oval; chrysalis destitute of eminences or angular projections.
3. Argus. 1. The antennz are terminated by an inflation, and are beard-
less. The genera are Myrine, Potyommatus, and Erycrna.
The Myrines are remarkable for the length and projection of the labial palpi. The Polyommati with the antenne termina. ting in a cylindrico-oval and elongated club, form the genus Thecla of Fabricius.
2. With the antenne either setaceous or plumose, or monili- form at the termination, The genera are Barsicornis and ZEPHYRIUS.
Genus Pariiio, Latreille.
Chrysalis naked, angular, fixed by the tail and by a silky band disposed transversely, and termi- nating on each side on the plane of position ; perfect insect with six feet formed for walking in both sexes.
This genus is subdivided as follows :— * Lower wings prolonged into a tail. ** Lower wings not prolonged.
* The Field Naturalist’s Magazine, vol. i. p. 8.
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 21 Genus Vanessa, Latreille. ntenne terminated by an abrupt short club;
palpi contiguous, even at the extremity, the two combined, resembling a rostrum ; anterior pair of feet in both sexes, short and very hairy; the two posterior pairs of tarsi, with double nails.
Genus Potyommatus, Latreille.
alpi longer than the head, and nearly parallel,
having three joints clothed with scales above, the first of which is short and curved, the second __ long, the third as long as the first, and destitute of hairs ; the antenne are rather short, and pro- - vided with more than thirty joints, with an abrupt flattish clubbed tip, ending m a point placed edgeways: these in some species are downy, and not so in others ; legs alike in both sexes ; feet provided with very short cushions ; beyond which are minute undivided claws ; the wings are entire, the upper ones triangular, and somewhat wedge-shaped ; under wings ovo-tri- angular, and hardly indented at the posterior angle.
‘Famity IJ.—HEsperives.
The posterior legs are provided with two pairs of spurs; the lower wings are nearly horizontal while in repose; the antenne, in some species,
22 MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF
the end; in others they are filiform, with the ex ; tremity slender, bent, and pointed. 3 The genera are Hesperia and Urania.
The Hesperides differ in their metamorphosis from that of the Papilionides. The caterpillars resemble those of many noctur- nal Lepidoptera. They are almost naked, tapering at the two extremities, or fusiform, with a globular head. They are found between leaves, which they fix together with their silky fila- ments. The pupzx also resemble those of the nocturnal Lepi- doptera. They have no eminences or angular projections, and are inclosed in a slight web, and frequently on leaves.
are terminated by a club or button, hooked :
f
:
Genus Hesperra, Latreille.
Antenne terminated in a club ; inferior palpi short, consisting of three joints, broad, and provided with scales anteriorly; body short and thick; wings triangular, thick, generally horizontal im repose ; abdomen short, nearly conical; feet strong, and the posterior legs with two spines more than the others; tarsi terminated by two small, simple, and arched hooks.
This genus is subdivided as follows :— * Inferior wings prolonged into a tail. ** Inferior wings not prolonged.
Trise I].—CREPUSCULARIA.
The exterior border of the lower wings generally provided with a strong, pointed, stiff, horny bristle near its origin, which enters into a groove below
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 93
the upper ones, and retains the four in a hori- zontal situation during repose ; the antenne are in the form of an elongated club, those of many males, and sometimes both sexes, pectinated or serrated ; caterpillars being always provided with sixteen feet.
Famity I.—Hespreri-Spuiness, Latreille.
he antenne are always simple, with a claviform termination, the extremity being hooked, and without a tuft of scales.
The genera are Coronis, Castn1a, and Acaristvs.
Genus Castnia, Latreille.
Antenne with a terminal elongated club; palpi subcylindrical, adpressed, not contiguous, fur- nished with short scales, and distinctly three jointed.
Famity IJ.—Spruineres, Latreille.
The antenne are always terminated by a small scaly tuft in a prismatic club, commencing near the middle of their length ; lower palpi broad, thickly covered with scales; the third joint smaller, and generally indistinct.
The genera are Smerintuus, AcHERONTHIA, SPHINx, and Macroctossum.
24 MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF
Genus Spuinx, Latreille.
The lower palpi having but two apparent join the third being minute, contiguous, and scaly the club of the antenne commencing near thi centre, simple, or with three transverse strie bearded, and never strongly serrated ; the ton very distinct, and corneous; the body short ane thick; the eyes are large; the wings near horizontal, forming a triangle with the body ; t : abdomen conical ; the feet thick, with two simple ‘ hooks at the end of the tarsi. . The insects of this genus are decorated with lively
agreeable colours. They congregate and fly lightly, abou
sunset, flitting from flower to flower, sucking melliferous liquids with their long proboscis. The caterpillars have sixteen feet, their skin is smooth or ganulated, and without hairs. Almost al of them have a kind of bent horn on the eleventh ring, the use of which is not known. Among the caterpillars, that which is found on the lilac and ligustrum is remarkable for the: singularity of its attitude. It is generally fixed to a branch by its membranous feet, with the body elevated perpendicularly and the head inclined, in whieh position it remains for hours.
In this attitude it is conceived to resemble the figures of the
fabulous sphinx, hence the name of the genus.
: Famity I]].—Zyeamnivzs, Latreille. : The antenne of the greater number are destitute of
tufted scales at the extremity, fusiform, or some- times like a ram’s horn; the labial palpi are
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 25
slender, compressed, cylindrical or conical, with
the third joint very distinct.
The caterpillars in this family have all sixteen feet, and are estitute of a horn at the posterior extremity of the body.
me inhabit the interior of vegetables ; others are naked and airy. . Antennz simple in both sexes.
The genera are Ses1a, Aicocera, Tuyris, Zycmna, and SynTomis.
I. Antenne bipectinated in the males, simple in the females. The genera are Procris and ATYcuia.
II. Antenne bipectinated in both sexes. The genera are Giraucoris, Aciaorg, and Styara.
Genus ZyGana, Fabricius.
he antenne are simple in both sexes, terminating abruptly in a convoluted club, at least in one of : the sexes, and destitute of a tuft at the extremi- | ty; the lower palpi are cylindrico-conical, rising i} above the hood; abdomen nearly cylindrical and 1 obtuse ; wings sloped ; spines at the extremity of | the legs very small.
The insects of this genus fly seldom, and that to very short istances, and are inactive in their habits ; usually found on the ants where the female deposits her ova. Both sexes live in
e perfect state only for the time necessary for reproduction. he caterpillars have sixteen feet. They are smooth, slightly
iry, and have not, like those of the Sphinges, a horny appen- e on the last segment. Before changing into pupe they in- lose themselves in a solid cocoon, which they form along a nch or leaf, and the perfect insect is produced in a short time er.
VOL. III. C
MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF
Ss oO
Trise II].—NOCTURNA.
All the wings are horizontal or inclined in repose ; the antenne are setaceous.
With the exception of a small number, the lower wings in this tribe are furnished with a bridle, formed by a strong and sharp horny bristle, or a bundle of sete adapted to a groove in: the upper wings, and keeping them horizontal when at rest. The chrysalis is almost always inclosed in a cocoon rounded | before, or without angles. The number of membranaceous feet varies in the caterpillar.
Famity I1.—Bompycires, Latreille.
The antenne are pectinated or serrated, at least! in the males; the trunk spiral and very short, or almost none ; body generally woolly and thick in the females ; wings often extended, an when they are inclined, the lower ones the other two, or are turned up ; caterpillars pro vided with sixteen feet.
I, Wings broad, either extended or inclined like a roof, th lower ones in this case bordering the upper ; caterpillars liv.
ing exposed, on leaves, The genera are Artacus, Lasiocampus, and Bompyx.
II, Wings oblong, narrow, always inclined, the lower ones en- tirely covered ; caterpillars living in the interior of vegetables, or concealed in the earth and gnawing their roots.
This section has but one genus, Hepraus.
Genus Bompyx, Fabricius.
The wings are entire, horizontally extended or in-
-LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 27
clined, forming a triangle with the body; the superior palpi are concealed, the lower ones very small, in the form of tubercles, cylindrical or - conical, and tapering towards their point; they have either no tongue, or it is very indistinct ; the antenne are pectinated, at least in the males ; abdomen very large in the females ; caterpillar with fourteen or sixteen feet; in those with fourteen feet, they have a forked tail in place of the last two. } Linneus included this genus among his Phalena, and formed one of its divisions. ‘The body of the Bombices is, however, always thicker than the Phalenw, and they live in the perfect state for a much shorter time than the other nocturnal lepidop- erous insects. Incapable of imbibing nourishment in this state, ing destitute of a tongue and trunk, the winged insect exists ly for the purpose of reproduction.
Famity I].—Noctuo-BomBycirks.
. The caterpillars are always smooth, with sixteen feet, inha- _ biting the interior of different vegetables, generally ligneous ones. The margins of the segments of the abdomen of the chrysalis are either dentated or spinous; the trunk is spiral _ in the perfect insect, always very short, or almost none ; +} antenne of some males furnished interiorly with a double 1 t row of beards; those of the females, and of both sexes in " others, having a series of short rounded teeth in all their
length.
f
_ The genera are Cossus and Zeuzera.
II. The caterpillars always living exposed naked, and smooth, _ with fourteen feet, the anal ones wanting; posterior extre- mity of the body pointed, forked, or entire and truncated ;
~
28 MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF
ae
a simple filament. ‘
1. Spiral trunk very short and indistinct. i Tt has but one genus, Cerura. i
2. Spiral trunk distinct, perceptibly prolonged when unrolled | beyond the palpi. ‘The genera are Dicranoura and PLaATYPTERYX.
ng |
III. The caterpillars always living exposed, and with sixteen feet, the anal ones never wanting. af 1, Having almost no spiral trunk, or very short, concealed | tween the palpi, and useless in manducation. ‘ A. Caterpillars never forming a portable tube of vegetable mat. | ters. q a. Caterpillars elongated ; upper part of the skin of the segments) not forming a vaulted arch over the body. * All the individuals with wings proper for flight. The genera are NoroponTes and Sericaria. ** Females apterous, or without wings. It has but one genus, Oreya.
b. Caterpillars oval; upper part of the skin beginning at the second ring, forming a solid arch, under which the head and the first segment may be retracted ; feet scaly, retractile, the membranous ones exuding a viscid fluid.
It has but one genus, Limacopes.
B. Caterpillars inclosed in portable tubes, which they form with fragments of vegetables, and bind together with their silk.
2. Spiral trunk very apparent, projecting beyond the palpi, and proper for suction, |
The genera are Cuetonta and CaLtimorpaa.
Genus Cossus, Latreille.
Having no tongue ; exterior palpi cylindrical, rather!
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 29
thick, covered with scales; antenne setaceous, as long as the head and trunk, with a series of short transverse and obtuse dentations along the _ interior side ; wings inclined.
The caterpillars of this genus are very prejudicial to trees, gnawing the roots, and even their substance. Preparatory to undergoing their change into the chrysalis state, they construct ‘a cocoon with earth, or the fragments of the substances which they gnaw. These we have more particularly described at page 107, vol. ii., and given a representation of a nest of the
Some of the caterpillars of this family present remarkable forms, as that of the Puss Moth, Cerura Vinula, and another called the Lobster by collectors, which is the larva of the Stawropus Fagi of Germar. This curious species is some- times, although rarely, found in Britain. This larva, unlike almost all the rest of its tribe, has very long legs, and assumes an attitude somewhat like that of the larva of the Puss Moth, with its tail cocked up, and its head and feet erected in the ‘Manner of a person praying. The following is a representa- ion of this remarkable larva ;
* VoL ii. page 101. First Edition,
~
30 MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF
This singular creature is of a rich orange colour ; and frequently caused great alarms amongst the ignorant and super stitious, from the praying attitude which it assumes.
Famity II].—Trwnetrss, Latreille.
The caterpillars are provided with sixteen feet, sometimes more, living for the most part in fixe or portable tubes, formed of the substances th gnaw agglutinated together ; but some are wit out this covering ; upper wings narrow and lon the lower broad and plicated, sometimes restin_ horizontally on the body, or hanging nearly ver- tically on the sides, and raised upwards behind - body cylindrical, or narrow and elongated ; th labial palpi in some species short, almost eylin” drical, in others thrown backwards in the form of horns ; the antenne are generally simple.
The insects of this family are very small, but often ornamented’ with brilliant colours. The margins of their wings are fringed.) The caterpillars have generally sixteen feet, and they live under cover, some in tubes, which they fabricate, and others, | which have in consequence received the name of miners, in galleries formed in the interior of leaves. The species which destroy woollen cloths, furs, &c. inhabit portable tubes. The miners furrow the parenchyma of leaves, and are sometimes very destructive to fruits and seeds.
I, Antenne and eyes serrated.
1. A distinct and elongated spiral trunk.
A. Wings resting horizontally on the body, or forming a rounded | slope ; labial palpi not longer than the head.
The genera are Lirnosia, YPONOMEUTA.
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 31
Wings pendant ; labial palpi much longer than the head, and _ thrown backwards above the thorax.
It has but one genus, GicorHora.
2. Tongue very short, or almost none; a tuft of scales or hairs on the head.
A. Labial palpi large, projecting.
The genera are Evptocampvus, Puycis.
B. Labial palpi small, not projecting.
It consists but of one genus, Tinga.
‘II. Antenne (very long) and eyes almost contiguous.
Is has but one genus, ADELA.
Genus Tinea, Latreille.
.The antenne are setaceous, simple or ciliated, dis-
tant; wings linear, rolled around the body; proboscis very short, or none; having two short hairy cylindrical palpi; a tuft of scales on the front.
The insects of this genus and its congeners are very destruc- tive to woollen cloths and furs. Inclosed in a tube, composed
| of the materials in which they are found, the caterpillars per-
forate, eat, and digest these substances. At the commencement of spring they change into pup, and remain in this form about twenty days. After coupling, the female deposits her ova in the substances upon which the young are afterwards to feed, and the caterpillars are hatched in fifteen days after. Many means have been proposed to prevent the ravages of these small insects; but the most effectual is oil of turpentine. A
piece of cloth or paper saturated with this oil, and placed in
the trunks, closets, or wardrobes, to be protected from their depredations, soon kills them. A solution of corrosive subli- mate and spirit of wine is also found to be an effectual preven-
—
32 MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF
tive against the depredations of moths. Spirit of wine or tobacco smoke are equally effectual ; but the one soon evaporates, ang the application of the other is difficult.
Famity 1V.—Noctu &LITEs.
The species are always nocturnal, with the wings entire, horizontally extended or sloping, and forming a triangle with the body ; tarsiand labial palpi bent, compressed, furnished with scales, and terminated abruptly by a joint shorter and more slender than the preceding. |
The caterpillars of this tribe are always naked, and never want the anal feet. The general number of their feet is sixteen, but some have only twelve. The perfect insect has always a spiral proboscis, and triangular wings proper for flight, in some sepa- rated, in others lying upon one another, or sloping. In a great number the hairs or scales above the thorax, and often on the abdomen, form a kind of crests or dentations, The males of many species have pectinated antenne.
I. Caterpillars with sixteen feet. 1. Labial palpi of medium size. The genera are Eresus and Noctua. 2. Labial palpi large. The genera are CatypTra and GonopTervs, II. Caterpillars with twelve feet. ], Labial palpi large. It has but one genus, CurysorTeRvs. 2. Labial palpi of medium size. It has but one genus, Piusia,
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 33
Genus Noctua, Fabricius.
|
/ The antenne are setaceous, generally simple ;
) tongue long, horny, rolled up in a spiral form ;
| supper palpi very small, concealed, the two under
.} ones bent, with the second joint very large, com- pressed, and furnished with scales, and the last very small ; body covered with small scales, the abdomen conical ; thorax frequently tufted ; wings
| sloping in the greater number.
}
‘| «©The insects of this genus, like all the other Lepidoptera,
have their wings covered with a scaly dust, which is removed by the slightest touch ; the lower wings are plicated longitudinally on their internal side. They are commonly found in woods, gar- dens, and meadows, about the plants where the females deposit their ova. They fly abroad generally ahout sunset, remaining ‘during the day concealed under leaves, on branches, or fixed ]} upon walls. They couple almost as soon as they change from } the pupa state. The male dies after coupling, and the female } when she has insured the continuance of the species by the deposition of the ova. The species of this numerous genus found on bushes and trees of various kinds.
Famity V.—Tortrices, Latreille.
Caterpillars some with fourteen, but the greater number with sixteen feet, the anal ones never wanting ; labial palpi sometimes short and cylin- drical, sometimes recurved above the head, __ pointed, or in the form of horns.
The caterpillars in this family roll themselves up in leaves or flowers, or live in the interior of fruits. The wings of the in-
4 4 Pa
i 34 MODERN ARRANGEMMENT OF |
ceras and Herminia. The caterpillar provided with fourteen feet.
Genus Pyratis, Latreille.
broad at their base, forming with the body a) truncated ellipse or triangle, of which the opposite | sides are arched near their junction.
Famity VI.—Pua.tanires, Latreille.
The caterpillars with ten or twelve feet, the anal ones never wanting; body naked, glabrous,! generally long or linear, the two extremities approximated in walking, and the intermediate) portion curved upwards in an annular form ; chrysalis slightly enveloped, or the cocoon with! but little silky matter ; body of the insect often! slender, with wings extended, or in a flattened) slope ; spiral trunk none, or minute; many of the males having pectinated antennee.
I. Caterpillars with twelve feet. It has but one genus, Metrocampus,
If. Caterpillars with ten feet.
1. Males and females with wings formed for flight. It has but one genus, Paanmna.
2. Females apterous or semi-apterous, and unable to fly. It has but one genus, HyBernia.
——— — D_-_. _.
ene
?
tess mm
oe
.
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 35
Genus Puatana, Latreille.
The antenne are setaceous, short, simple, pecti.. nated or plumose in both sexes, or in the males only ; tongue often small; lower palpi almost concealing the upper, nearly cylindrical or conical, short, and covered with small scales ; wings large, extended horizontally, or slightly sloped, and the posterior border in many species angular or dentated.
This genus comprehends nearly that division of the Linnzan
_ genus Phalena termed Geometra. Almost all the caterpillars are smooth, with a slender elongated body, and on the backs of ; many are eminences or warts resembling the knots or buds of a small branch. They live solitarily, and feed on vegetables. ‘Some eat only the leaves of certain trees, while others feed in- - discriminately on many. They walk by approximating the feet of
both extremities, and raising the intermediate portion of their body into a ring or arch. Their progression is accomplished by measured projections of their anterior feet, the posterior ones
being brought close up to the others at every step, the body rising at same time into an arch. This mode of walking has given rise to the application of the term Geometra, or measurers "of land, by which the genus has been characterised. These ca-
terpillars are farther remarkable for the manner in which many of them attach themselves to the branches of trees, and which
_ proves them to be possessed of muscular strength in a great de- gree. Some fix their posterior feet on a small branch with the
body placed vertically, and remain immovable in this position for hours, and others appear in attitudes which require the exertion of still greater muscular power. When the leaf is touched upon which one of these caterpillars is placed, it drops off, but does not fall to the ground, having always a silken thread
=
36 MODERN ARRANGEMENT OF
of extreme tenuity; this it has the power of lengthening at will, by which it swings itself to the ground, and ascends at pleasure. The species destitute of posterior feet, suspend them- selves by the extremity of the body like the caterpillars of some butterflies. The time which the Phalene remain in the chry-. salis form, varies in different species. A great number become perfect insects towards the end of summer. These all perish after having secured the reproduction of their ova; but those which do not undergo their metamorphosis till autumn, conti- nue during winter in the pupa state, and assume the imago or perfect condition in the following spring.
Famity VII.—Crampires, Latreille. I. Wings in a flattened slope, and forming a triangle with the body. The genera are Botys, Hyprocampus, Actossa, and
ILITHYA.
II. Wings hanging almost vertically on each side of the body, and ascending posteriorly, or rolled around it ; the upper ones long, narrow, and the lower broad.
The genera are Gatteria, CramBus, and ALucira.
Genus Crambus, Latreille.
Insects are provided with four palpi, the lower ones large and projecting ; wings rolled around the body in a cylindrical form ; antenne setaceous.
Famity VIIJ.—Prerroprnorites, Latreille.
Wings, or at least two of them, cleft, or digitate ; body slender and elongated; feet long; antenne simple ; spiral proboscis distinct ; wings some-
LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 37
times distant from the body, at others inclined and close. Caterpillars with sixteen feet ; in the greater number of species the chrysalis is naked, coloured, and suspended by a thread ; in _ the others it is inclosed in a transparent cocoon. The genera are Preropnorvus and OrNEOoDES.
Genus PrerorHorvs, Latreille.
The antenne are setaceous, simple; wings divided ; palpi scarcely longer than the head, and covered with scales ; body narrow and elongated ; wings distant from the body, in the form of arms, and the legs are spinous.
38
THE PARALECTA BUTTERFLY. Papilio Paralecta. PLATE I.
Paphia Paralecta, Horsfield’s Descriptive Catalogue of Lepi-
dopterous Insects in the Museum of the East India
Company, pl. 6. fig. 4.
Tue extent of the wings of this beautiful insect, from the tip of the one to that of the other, is three inches and a half; and its total length two inches and three quarters. Its general colour on the up- per surface is of a deep azure blue, which changes to purple by the play of light. The upper wings have a broad bright fulvous sesquialterous band, with undulated margins; the space between which and the extreme tips of the wings is of a deep brownish black ; the anterior margin, betwixt the sesquialterous band and the body of the insect,
is slightly tinged with green; the head and back © deep blue; eyes and sides of the thorax, as well as —
the abdomen and interior margins of the lower Wings, is of a burnt umber brown; the upper pair of wings are each provided with two white spots, the one situated in the lower margin of the sesqui- alterous band, and the other towards the tips of
the wings; the lower wings have two fulvous.
THE PARALEKTA BUTTERFLY.
Papilio Paralekta.—SJava.
THE PARALECTA BUTTERFLY. 39
in each, placed towards the exterior margin, mediately below the upper wings ; the abdomen, st below the thorax, is furnished with longish own hairs.
40
THE IDALIA BUTTERFLY.
Papilio Idalia.
PLATE II.
Papilio Idalia, Fabr. Sp. In. ii. p. 109.—Drury, Ins. i. pl. 13, figs. 1, 2, 3.—Shaw's Nat. Mis. pl. 1035.
THE breadth of the Idalia Butterfly is four inches and an eighth in extent ; the wings are of a deep rusty brown in the centre, with variously-shaped blotches of black, around which the whole are broadly bordered with black, and spotted with equidistant triangular white marks, with a row of these on the’ posterior margin ; the lower wings are of an intense bluish black, with large, pale, cream-coloured, somewhat square-shaped spots; the margins are indented, and have a row of white crescent-shaped spots near their edges ; a streak of brown extends from the insertion of the wings to nearly their centre ; the head, eyes, and thorax, are of a burnt | umber brown colour; the abdomen deep Ant- werp blue, and the sides provided with brown downy hairs. The under surface of the wings have silvery spots.
This butterfly is a native of many parts of North America. |
g.
THE IDALIA BUTTERFLY, Papilio Idéalia.—Norty. Amrrica,
2 ae
THE VIDURA BUTTERFLY. Papilio Vidura,—Java.
a.
41 *
THE VIDURA BUTTERFLY.
Papilio Vidura.
PLATE III.
Amblypodia vidura, Horsfield’s Des. Cat. Lepidopterous Insects, p. 111, pl. 1, fig. 6, 6 a.
Bs THE wings in the male, bright azure blue above, Wi th a snowy refulgence, spread as a delicate white powder over the surface, while the ground colour assumes, in a different aspect, a pale sea green tast; the superior wings are ornamented with a delicate white, silky, brush-like appendage, re- flected and closely applied to a blackish spot on the middle of the disc ; the margins are black, gradu- ally increasing in breadth to the tip, being sepa- ed by a curved boundary from the azure ground ; n the lower wings the posterior border is marked With a black thread, extending to the anal appen- dage, which bears besides a black lunule; the extreme fringe is gray; the exterior margin is wovided with a hemispherical denudated silvery spot, corresponding with a delicate brush of length- med hairs, in the under side of the upper wings ; the interior border is covered with a delicate whitish wn, slightly fringed with gray ; underneath, the gs are grayish brown, with a very faint livid VOL. III. DB
4.2 THE VIDURA BUTTERFLY.
lustre ; a strongly marked broad snow white halal passes in a straight line through the middle of botk pairs to the anal region of the lower wings, wh it becomes narrower, and, after several minute curves, stretches obliquely to the interior margin between this and the hinder margin is a very deli- cate blackish thread, composed of small linear frag- ments, in close contact, arranged in a regular curve across the fore wings, slightly interrupted and curved in the hinder, forming in the anal region ¢ delicate edge along the medial white band; the lower wings are besides. marked, within the post rior margin, with a row of oblong spots of the groun colour, inclosed within a double series of white lunules, and continued to the anal region by tw very large black ocellate spots, the exterior on being surmounted by a large oblong patch of bright orange tint, abruptly terminated at its cons tact with the black striga, the interior one occupy: ing the anal appendage, being covered internall with a white are sending off a short oblique line along the inner margin; the space between the ocellated spots is gray, irregularly irrorated with black, and marked in the middle by an indistine white lunule ; a brilliant white thread passes along the entire anal region, exterior to which is a con- tinued black marginal thread, and the whole ter minated by a grayish fringe. The body with a varying bluish or sea green tint above, covered
THE VIDURA BUTTERFLY. 43
with a yellowish down underneath ; the antennz brown, with a closely catenulated lateral white line extending to the origin of the club, the tip of hich is ‘ferruginous ; the tail black, with a white ip and grayish fringe.”
Inhabits India ; and is very — mét with on ee Island of Java.
44
THE THYRIA BUTTERFLY. Papilio Thyria.
PLATE IV. ¢
Pieris Thyria, MM. Latreille and Geoffroy, Ency. Met _ Hist. Nat. ix. p. 147.—Pontia Thyria, Horsfield, in Zool. Journ. vol. v. p. 69, pl. 4, fig. 2.
Tue Thyria butterfly is two inches in breadth and of an uniform rich orange coloured brown ; the anterior margins towards the shoulders of the upper wings tinged with yellow, and the interior margins of the lower wings of the same colour, with their posterior margins scalloped and edged with a bordex of yellow, above which, is a scalloped border of black ; the external sides of the upper wings have a black border ; the body is yellowish brown.
Dr Horsfield says, “ The male, in our insect, i distinguished by a more rich and saturated coloum above, by very prominent blackish nervures, and by a very faint posterior border. In the female,
of the same colour, near the outer apical angle passing obliquely from the middle of the costa, to, wards the margin, being succeeded by several ins} distinct ares. The tint in the female is less brilliant; .
4,
THE THYRIA BUTTERFLY. Papilio Thyria.—Java.
THE THYRIA BUTTERFLY, 45
underneath, both pairs have a saturated sulphu- reous orange colour, which assumes an obscure vermilion tint, in the medial and basal areas of the fore wings. In the female, the surface is variegated by the transmission of the marks of the upper side, j and the grayish irrorations towards the margins. The thorax, in both sexes, is clothed above with a greenish, and underneath, with a yellowish down. | The body blackish above, and gray underneath.
_ The Thyria butterfly inhabits the Island of Java, It is a rare insect.
46
THE EBULE BUTTERFLY.
Papilio Ebule. PLATE V.
Papilio Ebule, Shavw’s Nat. Mis. pl. 1018.—Cramer’s Desc. des Pap. ii. pl. 120, fig. x. r.—Edwards, pl. 304.
THE whole upper surface of this butterfly is of a rich yellow colour, marked along the margin with black specks, and beneath bd a double ferruginous — silvery spot.
The caterpillar is of a rich gamboge yellow, with a double row of green spots along the sides. It feeds on the leaves of the dwarf cassia.
The pupa is of a fine rose colour, having two streaks of green.
The Ebule butterfly is a native of Virginia and Georgia. |
5.
THE EBULE BUTTERFLY. Papilio Ebule.—Groraia,
6,
THE ATYMNUS BUTTERFLY. Papilio Atymnus.—Java,
THE ATYMNUS BUTTERFLY. Papilio Atymnus. PLATE VI.
Papilio P. R. Atymnus, Fab. Mani. Ins. ‘denn. ii. p. 70, No. 662. —Myrina Atymnus, MM. Latreille and Geoff- roy, Ency. Meth. Hist. Nat. ix. p. 574.
_ Tue wings above, are fulvous in both sexes, varying in intensity of tint in different individuals, om high toned orange, to pale saffron yellow ; the mterior, with the exterior borders, blackish brown, he intermediate boundary being regular, and pass- ng in an arch from the middle of the costa to he inner apical angle, leaving the greatest breadth t the tip; posterior, with a narrower and paler | ‘apical border, whose inner edge is slightly dentate,
nd gradually diffused in the ground colour of the urface, or entirely covered with a diluted yellowish ant ; the inner margin is dirty grayish and downy, engthened in the direction of the anal appendage, vhich is irrorated with dusky white ; underneath, t is covered with a yellow ochraceous pulverulent ‘tint, which is uniformly diffused over the whole ace, marked with four brownish parallel strige, he two interior ones being very obsolete, and appa- ‘Tent only in fresh and well conditioned specimens;
48 THE ATYMNUS BUTTERFLY.
the third, extending over the middle of both pairs, — is the most distinct, and composed of darkish lunules — in close succession; the fourth, just within the — margin, is faint and interrupted ; the transverse anal —
extremity is marked with a brownish band, consist- ing of three confluent spots, which are covered along the margin with whitish irrorations, the inner spot
ae
being diffused over the rounded extremity of the anal appendage. The body is broadish above, with a slight admixture of yellow ; the thorax bears — delicate silky hairs; underneath, these parts are
covered with a short, close, whitish down. The an- tenn are brown; the tail is pale fulvous, with an obscure brownish margin, and a whitish tip.
This Papilio inhabits India.
’
f
. we 5
o&
THE HECKUBA BUTTERFLY, Papilio Heckula.—Scutn America.
49
THE HECKUBA BUTTERFLY, Papilio Heckuba.
PLATE VII.
PPapilio Heckuba, Shaw's Nat. Mis. pl. 167.—Gmelin’s Linneus Systema Nature, p. 2247.
_ THE upper wings are of a very rich ferruginous ted colour; on the anterior margin there is an acutely triangular mark, extending from the inser- tion of the wing, nearly two-thirds across it, widen- ‘ing as it extends outwards, and of a deep sangui- nous red, with dusky scalloped edges, and a double ‘border of crescent-shaped, deep straw coloured ‘spots; the lower wings are black, of an ochre yellow towards their base; they are considerably more indented than the upper ones, and provided with a double border of oblong ovate deep straw Feoloured spots, those next the edge of the wings being set in pairs; the body is blackish gray, some- what ochre coloured above ; the whole under sur- ace of the wings is undulated with different shades of brown, black, gray, and rust colour, and marked by several eyelike spots, or annulets of similar colours.
50 THE HECKUBA BUTTERFLY.
This superb insect is one of the largest of its tribe, measuring five inches and a half from the tip of one wing to that of the other. It is a native
of South America.
8.
THE DIOMEDES BUTTERFLY. Papilio Diomedes.—Java.
51
THE DIOMEDES BUTTERFLY. Papilio Diomedes. PLATE VIII,
P pilio Diomedes, Shaw's Nat. Mis. pl. 296.—Cramer’s | Deser. des Pap. pl. 122, fig a—Linn. Syst. Nat. p. — 749.—Gmelin’s Linné, pl. 2236.
THE wings above, of this butterfly, are black, javing their dise unequally radiated with blue, vith a large round spot of black on the centre of he upper wings, and their edges with a border of juidistant white spots; the lower wings with a nargin of crescent-shaped white spots, and each provided with a subcaudal black appendage ; the internal margins of both wings with a tinge of yellowish green; the body is short, of a reddish own, and the eyes are red.
The Diomedes butterfly is one of the larger pecies, and measures five inches and a half from ithe tip of one wing to that of the other.
This insect is a native of China.
52
THE SAKUNI BUTTERFLY. Papilio Sakuni.
PLATE Ix.
Polyommatus Petavius, Ency. Meth. Hist. Nat. ix. 676. Petavia Sakune, Horsfields’s Des. Cat. Mus. East Indic Company, pl. 2. fig 1. 1.
THE upper surface of the wings is of a darl burnt umber-coloured brown, the superior pair wit a large orange patch towards their exterior edges ; the whole are surrounded by an equidistant spotte border of paler brown of the same colour ; the bod: is also dark umber brown; the eyes are blacki brown. The whole under surface ofthe wings of a rich brownish yellow, with irregular spots 0 gray. The antenne have no visible club at the termination.
This insect inhabits India.
9,
THE SAKUNI BUTTERFL¥.
Papilio Sakuni.—Java.
rae
Se ed we ais ‘ zs
or
is fg Pree a hat
Be te Es fn oe at: mee
se Tike Sah’: ott
10.
THE SUGRIVA BUTTERFLY. Papilio Sugriva.—Java.
53
THE SUGRIVA BUTTERFLY.
Papilio Sugriva.
PLATE X
Theckla Sugriva, Horsfield’s Iliustrations of Lepidopterous Insects, Museum of the East India Company, pl. 1, fig. e -10. 10.
_ Tur superior surface of both the upper and lower vings are black, as well as the body and antenne ; ‘the lower wings have an oblong patch of deep ultra- marine blue; the caudate wings extend about an imch beyond the lower wings, and have a slight flexure towards their centre; they are, together with the wings, a considerable way above them, of |a pale fawn colour; the inner point of the wings having a crescent-shaped black spot on each; the under side is of a rich fawn colour, clouded and streaked with dark brown, and having some black eyelike spots, with a circular margin of rich golden yellow. Extent of wings one inch and five-eighths ; total length of both wings, including the caudate wings, two inches and an eighth.
This rare and curious insect inhabits India.
54
THE AMERICAN COMMA BUTTERFLY.
Papilio C. Aureum.
PLATE XI. i
Papilio C, Aureum, Shaw’s Nat. Mis. pl. 1046.—Smith'e and Abbot's Insects of America, pl. 11. }
THE superior wings, and upper half of the lower ones, are of a bright orange red, spotted with variously-shaped marks of black; the lower ones’ with a large circular black comma-like spot in the middle of the orange ; the upper wings are deeply indented and scalloped on their edges, and have a broad margin of black, within which is a border of small white dots ; the under half of the lower wings are black, with longitudinal clouds of dark steel gray, approaching to blue in some species; they are also deeply indented and scalloped on their edges, with short subcaudate wings; the body is olive green, and the eyes orange.
The Papilio C. Aureuwm inhabits Virginia and Georgia, where its caterpillar feeds on the leaves of the white lime-tree; it changes to a chrysalis in the month of May, and emerges the complete in- sect in June,
11.
AMERICAN COMMA BUTTERFLY. Papilio C. aureum.—V IRGINIA.
a ne } +e ae > stis 2 seme Ve iota? i, ” + in
PK 4 Baca + may? Fike aan as
We Za LAL eouays 7
12.
THE GOLDEN-COPPER BUTTERFLY. Papilio Chryseis.—Britain.
55
THE GOLDEN COPPER BUTTERFLY. Papilio Chryseis. PLATE XII.
apilio Chryseis, Leach’s Zoological Miscellany, pl. 13, page -27.—F ab. Mont. Ins. ii. p. 79, No. 725.—Gmelin’s Linn. Systema Nature, p. 2359, No. 815.—Wein. Schmetterl. 181, No. 3.
Tue wings of the male are yellow orange above, with black margins, and a black spot on the upper mes, which are of a blue colour; the female is. ge above, clouded and spotted with black. Both are brown beneath, with twenty-seven eye- ike spots, or annulets. The wings extend one neh and five-twelfths to halfan inch. It appears n the winged state in August and September.
This pretty insect was first introduced to the otice of the British entomologist by Dr Leach in lis “ Zoological Miscellany,” and was caught by Mr Plasted of Chelsea, in Ashdown Forest, Sussex, nd also near Epping, and is a very rare insect.
56
THE RAVINDRA BUTTERFLY. Papilio Ravindra.
PLATE XIilIl.
Mijena Ravindra, Horsfield’s Illus. Lep. Inst. Mus. E India Company, p. 117. pl. 1, fig 11, 11.
THE superior wings are brown above, being m saturated in the male; in which the lower wi are of a pulverulent glossy hue, changing by play of light to sea green, deepening towards | lower margin ; the latter with a snow white extending to the paler inner margin. In the fe these wings are nearly all brown, having only few diffuse bluish crescent-shaped spots; the perior wings are grayish brown beneath, with grayish white anal area ; the lower wings are whi and marked on the base and dise with oblong b spots. The body is brown above, and hoary und neath; the antennee are brown, with a ferrugino tip, delicately crenulated with white along t lateral groove; the legs are white, having dist black bands on the tibie, and numerous bands 0 the tarsi; the caudate wings white, with a medi black striga.
The Ravindra butterfly inhabits India.
13.
THE RAVINDRA BUTTERFLY. Papilio Ravindra.—Javs.
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THE AGNOR BUTTERFLY.
57
THE AGNOR BUTTERFLY... Papilio Agnor.
PLATE XIV.
ipilio Agnor, Linneus Systema Nature, ii, p. 747.— Clerk, ic. Ins. Rar. pl. 15.—Cramer Desc. des Pap. i. pl. 8, fig. a, 3.—Shaw’s Nat. Mis. pl.500.
2 upper wings of the Papilio Agnor are wnish black, having broad streaks of deep black, d with a large and small elongated triangular Bearlet spot towards their insertion, and placed near ‘the anterior margin ; the upper one being greatly Targer than the under one; the lower wings are rownish black on the upper half; and white on the disc, with longitudinal broad black veins, be- tween each of which is a large upright oblong ovate ack spot; both upper and lower wings are con- derably dentated ; the antenne are provided with etty large club-shaped tips; the body is black and downy.
prs insect measures three inches and six-eighths from the tip of one wing to that of the other, and | rf ‘an inhabitant of several parts of Asia.
VOL. IIl. E
58
THE ARJUNA BUTTERFLY. Papilio Arjuna,
PLATE XY.
Papilio Arjuna, Horsfield’s Descriptive Catalogue of | _ Insects, Mis. East India Company, pl. 1. fig. 14. 14,
THE upper and under wings of the Papilio Arju; are of a deep fulvous brown, thickly bespri nk] with minute greenish dots ; the lower wings wi a broad transverse green patch, occupying about third of the wings. This patch is liable t changebility of colour from the play of light ; the interior lower angle of this green patch is a eyelike spot of black, its upper edge being sum mounted by a semilunar yellow stripe, above whit is a similarly shaped stripe of blue ; the upper win: are slightly, and the lower ones deeply, indente and provided with subcaudal appendages, directe outwards. The under surface of both wings are | a raw umber colour; the upper ones with a brog transverse oblique band of pale straw yellow, ex tending entirely across them ; the lower wings witl a black border, having in each of the hollows | crescent-shaped white spot, surmounted by ¢ acutely semilunar spot of yellow, ferruginous i
15.
THE ARJUNA BUTTERFLY. Papilio Arjuna.—Java.
cored Sor seine Ps Manag fe +
THE ARJUNA BUTTERFLY, 59
e centre ; above which are similarly shaped spots ‘azure blue. The body is blackish brown.
This insects measures four inches across the ‘ings, and inhabits several of the Indian islands.
60
THE SINGLE SPOT BUTTERFLY. Papilio Spondie.
PLATE XVI,
Papilio Spondia, Merian’s Insects of Surinam, pl. 13.— Shaw's Nat. Mis, pl. 806.
Tue whole upper surface of this butterfly is of a1 uniform bright verditer blue, with a black spot o1 each of the upper wings towards their tips, and yellow transparent spot near the centre, towa the posterior margins of the lower wings; the unde surface of both wings is of a deep umber brow each provided with a waved grayish white sesqui. alterous band, and the lower wings with a yellow. spot in the same situation as above ; the body i brown beneath, and azure blue above.
The caterpillar of this insect, according Madam Merian, is of a very voracious nature, an¢ feeds on the leaves of the Spondias lutea, or Ameri. can plumb ; it is of a deep green colour, and thick] beset with long hairs, each having a little circule ball at its tip. It changes to a chrysalis in thé beginning of April, and transforms into the perfect butterfly in the end of the same month.
The Single Spot butterfly is a native of Surinam,
16.
THE SINGLE-SPOT BUTTERFLY. Papilio Spondie.—Surinam.
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PFs
THE WHITE ADMIRABLK BUTTERFLY. Papilio Camilla.—Britain.
61
THE WHITE ADMIRABLE BUTTERFLY. Papilio Camilla. PLATE XVII.
Papilio Camilla, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 781. No. 187.—Roes, _ iii. tab. 33, figs. 3, 4...Donovan’s Brit. Ins. vii. p. 75. pl. 244,-Harris’s Aurel. p. 56, pl. 30. fig. m. n.
Tue antenne are club-shaped at their termina- tion, the wings erect when at rest ; they extend two inches, to two inches and one-sixth, and are of an uniform dark blackish brown on the upper side, indented with a white band and spots; between which, and the base, is an ashy crescent-shaped disc, and four white dots, with a double parallel series of obscure, black marginal spots. The under side of the wings is of a rich orange yellow, with a white band and spots.
The caterpillar of the White Admirable butterfly is green, and feeds upon the common honeysuckle and woodbine. ag
The chrysalis is green, spotted with golden me- tallic spots, forked in front. The fly is found in the months of June and July on the skirts of woods. It localizes in the south-eastern counties of England, particularly in Sussex, Essex, Kent, Berks, Hants, Middlesex, and Suffolk.
62
THE ARTAXERXES BUTTERFLY. Papilio Artaxerxes.—BRiTAIn. PLATE XVIII.
Papilio Artaxerxes, Fab. Ent. Sys. t. 3, p. 1. 297-129.— Donovan's Brit. Ins. xv. p. 1, pl. 541.—Rennie’s Consp. of But. p. 19.
THE antenne are elevated at the tip; the wings are entire, sooty black, or brownish black, with a white dot on the middle of the superior pair, and — with rufous lunules on the inferior ones; margins beneath white, with rufous dots ; the under surface is of a pale brown, with numerous white eyelets, — black in the centre. The male is lighter than the female. The extent of the wings is from one inch to an inch anda sixth. It appears in the winged state at the end of July.
This insect was first discovered on Arthur Seat, near Edinburgh, by Dr Leach, and also on the — Pentland Hills, near Edinburgh, by the same gentleman. Till that period, it was esteemed as the highest possible rarity. It has also been found at Dumfries and in Devonshire.
The Papilio Artaxerxes is by no means striking in its appearance, but valuable on account of its rarity.
18.
THE ARTEXERSES BUTTERFLY. Papilio Artexerses.—Britain.
Ee walee Fs RS San ier Abe, ie alll Me are
oo
wi . > 5 P a ~s A — - ’ ee ry ; Shes | sf a4 f . ‘ eid 2 t °
19.
THE AZURE-BLUE BUTTERFLY. Papilio Argiolus.—Brirtain.
63
THE AZURE-BLUE BUTTERFLY.
Papilio Argiolus.—Britain.
PLATE XIx,
" s
"Gimelin’s Linné, i. p. 5.2350, No. 234.—Donovan’s Brit. Ins. xiv, p. 39, pl. 418.—Polyommatus Argiolus, Sée- phens.—Rennie’s Conspectus, p. 17.
THE extent of the wings is from an inch and a sixth to an inch and a half, of a deep azure blue; the superior ones with a broad transverse band of black on their outer side, and a margin of black and white dots ; the lower wings are dotted with black, “and a deep line of black towards their lower. ex- “tremities ; the under side of the wings is light gray. _ The female has more black at the tip of the wings, which are bluish, inclining to purple; the under surface of both male and female is of a very pale sky blue, dotted with black. This insect is not “uncommon, appearing about the middle of the day, in sunny weather, on the skirts of meadows.
The larva of this butterfly is rarely to be met “with ; it feeds on grass, and is hairy ; of a yellow- ish green colour, with a bright green line down the back, and the head and legs are black ; it feeds on buckthorn and holly.
—)
64 THE AZURE-BLUE BUTTERFLY.
The chrysalis is smooth, of a brown and g colour, with a black line down the back.
There are two broods of the Azure-Blue butte fly, one of which appears in the month of June July, and another in the latter end of August. T inhabits the neighbourhood of London, Suffolk, Norfolk, Kent, Hampshire, and Devonshire.
20.
DRURY'S SPHINX. Sphina Drurei,—Britain.
65
DRURY’S SPHINX. _ Sphinx Drurei. ‘PLATE XX,
| Papilio Drurei, Drury, vol. 1, pl. 25, fig. 42._-Donovan’s Brit. Ins. xiv. p.1, pl. 469.
THE wings are entire ; the superior pair grayish brown, setaceous and clouded, with a distinct fus- cous blotch in the middle; the anterior wings are rose coloured, with three waved transverse black bands; on the back are two eyelike blue spots ; _ the back is the same colour as the superior wings, and the abdomen rich crimson, with transverse bands of black on each segment, and a longitudinal ‘ stripe of brown down its centre.
_ This sphinx is supposed to have been imported from America.
THE CLEAR WINGED HUMMING SPHINX.
Sphing Fusiformis.
PLATE XXI,
Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 803, No. 28.—Sesia Fusiformis, Fad, | Sp. Ins. ii. p. 156, No. 11.—Don. Brit. Insects, vol. iii. p- 37, pl. 87. :
Tur antenne are blackish brown; the head and thorax of a bright chrome yellow; the body rich — brown, except the last segments, which are yellow ; — the abdomen is bearded with black ; the wings are 7 transparent, with a broad dark brown border.
The caterpillar of this insect feeds on the wood : of willows, and is concealed within the solid sub-_ stance of the trunk, in the same manner as the larva of the Sphinx apiformis and Sphinx tipuliformis | are concealed within the wood of a poplar, and stalks of currant bushes.
Fabricius describes the caterpillar as green, with — a lateral line of yellow, and having a red spine at the end of the body. Harris says, that in the : winged state the fly is found in gardens, on flowers, : in May. Fabricius says it feeds on the honey-
suckle. It is a very rare insect, especially in Britain, — and has been found in Epping Forest.
21.
THE CLEAR-WINGED HUMMING SPHINX. Sphing Fusiformis.—Britarn,
OO
THE CONVOLYVULUS SPHINX,
Sphing Convolvuli.—Barrary.
67
THE CONVOLVULUS SPHINX. Sphing Convolvuli.—Brirain.
PLATE XXII,
Sphinx Convolvuli, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 798, Note.— Cramer Desc. des Pap. iii. p. 19, t, 225. fig. v,—Dono- _ van’s Brit. Ins, vii. p. 31. pl. 228.
THe antenne are thickest in the middle; the ings are entire, varying in the male from four inches and one-third to four and a half inches ; and in the female from four inches and a half to two- thirds ; deflexed when at rest; they are of a pale brownish yellow, beautifully clouded and streaked with zigzag markings of blackish brown; the lower wings with zigzag transverse bands. The head is ash coloured ; the thorax ashy brown, with indistinct dark lines; abdomen with transverse fillets of alternate black and pink. This is the largest species of Hawk Moth which habits Great Britain, with the exception of the Sphinx Ligustri and the Sphinx Atropos. It is rarely taken in this country, but is common in Germany.
A beautiful variety of this insect is found in North America; the wings are more richly varied with different shades of bright brown than the
68 THE CONVOLVULUS SPHINX.
European kind; the posterior wings are of a fi rose colour. —
_ The caterpillars are of two colours ; the one gree: with stripes of yellow and spots of black ; the oth brown, with ochre coloured stripes, and sides of tl same, and the horn dingy; it feeds on the gree and lesser bind-weed. Abbot figures a caterpille of this insect, with a rose coloured seam on the side, It is four inches in length ; the pupa measures tw inches, and is of a reddish brown colour. It rather rare, and is found to inhabit Caithness i Scotland, York, South Wales, Cambridge, Cumber. land, Surrey, Middlesex, Cornwall, and Kent.
23.
THE LIME HAWK MOTH. Sphine Tilie.—Britain.
Pree, .
69
THE LIME HAWK MOTH. Sphinx Tilie. PLATE XXIII.
Sphinx Tilie, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 797.—Merian’s Ins. ii. p. 80, No. 2.—Donovan’s Brit. Ins. x. p. 3, pl. 325. —Smerinthus Tilie, Latreille.
THE antenne are thickest in the middle; the wings are angulated, the superior ones of a fine
‘rose colour, with two square patches of green on
each, and a broad band of green at their exterior sides, and margined with crimson ; the thorax and abdomen are also green, and a yellowish triangular patch on the back ; the lower wings are of a rich yellowish brown, margined with crimson. The wings of the male are two inches and one-sixth to one inch and two-thirds; the female is from two inches and a third to three inches; they are some- what three-lobed in form.
The caterpillar is emerald green, and solitary in its habits; the segments banded, spotted with erimson and yellow, and thickly covered with punctured white dots. It feeds on the lime-tree,
alder, elm, oak, and birch, and changes in Sep-
tember to the pupa state, and remains in that
70 THE LIME HAWK MOTH.
condition during the winter. It is of a dus brown, and is transformed into the perfect sphi
in May. | It is plentiful in Devonshire, Hertfordshir
Essex, Surrey, and Yorkshire,
o4
THE CLIFDEN NONPAREIL MOTI, Phalena Frazina.—Britain.
71
THE CLIFDEN NONPAREIL MOTH. Phalena Frazxini. PLATE XXIV.
Phalena fraxini, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 848, No. 125.— Wilk’s Pap. No. 45, tab. i. a 2—Merian’s Insects of Europe, pl. 4.—Roes. iv. pl. 28, fig. 1—Donovan’s Brit. Ins, vol. v. ‘p. 89, pl. 171.— Catocala Fraxini, Curtis.
THE wings are from three inches and five-sixths to four inches in extent ; they are scalloped. Supe- rior ones ashen gray, covered with numerous zigzag markings of a darker colour; under wings blue, with transverse bands of black. The wings are deflexed when at rest; the antenne taper from the base ; the thorax is crested.
The under side is of a dull cream yellow, with many black cloud-like bands crossing the wings.
The male is easily distinguished from the female by its smaller size. This moth is subject to con- siderable variety, both in the markings and arrange. ment of the spots, as well as in the degree of in- tensity in the colours of both upper and lower wings. We have examined some specimens from the north of Europe, which were comparatively null in their colours to those of Britain.
72 THE CLIFDEN NONPAREIL MOTH.
The larva feeds on the ash-tree, the poplar, oak, and elm ; and is found in Yorkshire, Kent, Suffolk, and Surrey ; it changes to the pupa state in June. The chrysalis is of a pale raw umber brown, and is slightly covered with hairs. The perfect moth emerges in July.
The English name given to this very beautiful moth, was in consequence of its having been first taken at Clifden in Buckinghamshire, in the month — of July. It was discovered hanging against the pedestal of a statue, having just emerged from the chrysalis, and was in the act of drying its wings.
It is extremely probable that this elegant butter- fly was originally introduced into Britain in the egg or pupa condition, among continental plants.
It is one of the rarest, as well as the largest of the British lepidoptera, and is much less uncommon — in Germany, and other parts of the continent, than — in Britain, /
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25.
THE DARTFORD EMERALD MOTH. Phalena Lucidata.__Britain.
73
THE DARTFORD EMERALD MOTH. Phelena Lucidata. PLATE XXV.
Phalena lucidata, Donovan's British Insects, iii. p. 67. pl. 97.Rennie’s Conspectus, p. 17.
Tuts pretty insect is of a fine lucid emerald green, with two waves across the upper, and one across the under wings. The wings extend one inch and one-fourth, to five-twelfths.
Donovan says, “ This species we have ever found peculiar to the woods about two or three miles be- yond Dartford, in Kent, particularly on the skirts
of Darnwood, and near the banks of the river Thames, at Queenhithe. It has probably never been taken elsewhere, or the name Dartford Eme- /rald would not have been so generally adopted by collectors. I am not certain whether in the larva state it feeds on the convolvulus, although I found it on a } plant of that kind, as its climbing stalks and tend- { rils were so intricated with branches of white thorns, oak, and brooms, as to prelude any accurate deter- } mination.” The head of the caterpillar is gray, with black VOL. III. F
a
74 THE DARTFORD EMERALD MOTH.
jaws, and is concealed beneath two reddish horn or projections of the same green colour as the back. It feeds on the oak, sloe, &c. The pupa is of a dull brown, betwixt a bistr colour and raw umber. This is a very rare British moth, and has only been found in Kent and Surrey, and in the lat er locality very sparingly.
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THE PROSERPINA MOTH.
Phalena Proserpina.—Nortu America,
79
THE PROSERPINA MOTH, . Phalena Proserpina. PLATE XXVI. Phalena Proserpina, Shaw’s Naturalist’s Miscellany, pl. 998.
Tue whole wings of this interesting phalena aré of a deep black, which changes into a beautiful glossy blue by the reflection of light; both the upper and lower wings are provided with a very broad sesquialterous waved band of pale straw yellow, which is greatly broader on the lower ones ; both sets of wings have a crescent-shaped black spot, with an ochre coloured centre, situated in the bands ; those of the superior wings are placed near the top of the upper inner margins, and those of the lower wings towards the interior margins ; the entire exterior margins of the wings, are sup- plied with a fine fringe ; the body is the same colour as the wings, with four transverse tufts of a colour between scarlet and orange. The head and upper part of the thorax is pale straw yellow; the an- tenne are fringed, and of an ochre yellow.
The caterpillar is of a pale gamboge yellow, with a crimson head and tail, and each side of the upper surface furnished with an undulated, longitudinal,
76. THE PROSERPINA MOTH.
black band, from the sides of which project branched filaments set in pairs. It feeds on the leaves ¢ several species of American oak.
The pupa is of a dull umber brown.
This moth inhabits Georgia and Virginia.
Beast koi ee Mem RESP 8.6 pi
2i<
THE BROOM MOTH. Phalena Pisi.—Britain.
17
THE BROOM MOTH. Phalena Pisi, PLATE XXVII.
PhalenaPisi, Linn, Syst. Nat. ii. p. 854, No. 172.—Merian’s Europ. tab. 50.—Donovan’s Brit. Ins. ii. p. 39, pl. 51.
THE superior wings are from half an inch to two- thirds ; of a reddish brown, clouded with darker grayish brown, with a gamboge and yellowish-gray undulated lines near their exterior margins. The lower wings in the male are of a light brown, with a -broad shade of grayish ; and in the female they are ash coloured at the base. The caterpillars of this species will indiserimi- nately eat the leaves of the knot-grass, pease, the broom, &c. It is from the latter food which the moth takes its name. The caterpillar has a pale pink head; the body is dark reddish brown, with two longitudinal rich yellow stripes on each side ; the belly and feet are of a raw umber brown. It is found in July and August, and descends into the ground late in September, or the first week in Oc- tober, and the fly comes forth in July. Caterpillars that enter the earth in the larva form, pass to the chrysalis, and issue forth in the perfect fly state, have no occasion for a web to
78 THE BROOM MOTH.
protect them; and therefore few species prepare — one. But among those which remain exposed in . the open air, a very small proportion neglect to — weave a web with the utmost skill and industry.
It is found in Ireland, near Dublin, at Durham, Essex, Derbyshire, Middlesex, and Surrey. '
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28.
THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH—FEMALE, Phalena Pheorrhoea.—Britatn.
79
THE BROWN TAIL MOTH. Phalena Pheorrhea.—Britain. PLATE XXVIII.
Phalena Phworrhea, Curtis’s Hist. 1782.—Marsh, Linn. Tr. v. p. 68.—Donovan’s Brit. Ins. xvi. p. 39, pl. 555.
THE antenne taper from the base; the wings of the male are yellowish, or cream yellow, and from one inch and a third to one and a half inch; the female is from one inch and a half to two-thirds, and pure white above. The first pair of wings have a dusky cloud on the upper edge in the male ; the antenne ferruginous ; the abdomen dark umber brown, with the last segment of an orange brown.
The caterpillar is black, with longitudinal double lines of red along the back; and each segment spotted with white along the sides. The pupa is brownish black.
The history of this little moth is very interest- ing, and was given at considerable length by Mr W. Curtis, author of the “ Flora Londinensis.”
In the year 17782, the inhabitants of London and. its vicinity were thrown into the utmost consterna- tion by the appearance of a phenomenon far from usual in the northern regions of the earth,—a host of insects, in numbers like the locusts of the deserts,
80 THE BROWN TAIL MOTH.
were observed at once to pervade the whole face of | vegetation, and despoil the herbage in many places” for miles, of every trace of verdure. These were no other than the larve of an insignificant moth, the — subject of our present plate. ) The ravages committed by this insect were assuredly less considerable than the vulgar were inclined to believe. True to their natural instinct, — some particular vegetables were preferred to others, — and these they devoured with impunity, while others were only partially attacked, as though eaten with reluctance in the general scarcity of their natural food ; and again, others being still less” ‘palatable, entirely escaped their devastations. The aspect of vegetation was nevertheless such as might — justly create alarm: plants, hedges, nay, whole plantations of fruit-trees, as well as trees of the forest, shared in the general havoc, presenting their leafless branches in the midst of summer, as though — stricken and destroyed by the blasts of winter. An — appearance so extraordinary was calculated to create” terror: it was naturally interpreted as a visita- tion from heaven, ordained to destroy all the sources © of vegetable life, to deprive men and cattle of their most essential food, and finally leave them a prey tofamine. Such were the vulgar fears ; but, thanks © to Providence, the destroying powers of these crea-— tures were restricted to their instincts ; their at- tacks were principally directed against the oak, the
— se
THE BROWN TAIL MOTH. 81
: hawthorn, the elm, and fruit-trees ; the fodder for the cattle, and the harvest for mankind, remained untouched. The appearance of such a host of little depredators, seems, however, to have afforded a
“seasonable admonition, evincing to an unthinking multitude, how easy the comforts, nay, even the existence of man, may be assailed by a creature so
insignificant, had not the limits of its ravages been
prescribed by Him “ who wills, and is obeyed ;”— its intrusions certainly created alarm, but did little serious injury.
_ This is no exaggerated picture of the public mind
on the occasion to which we refer; its alarm was
so powerful, and prevailed to such an extent, that prayers were publicly offered up in the churches to avert the calamity it was supposed they were in- tended to produce. The webs containing the larvee were collected in many places about the metro- polis by order of the parish officers, who allowed a certain prize to the poor for gathering them, and
‘superintended the burning of them in large heaps
‘with coal and fagots. At this precise period the tract by Mr Curtis, as above related, appeared. In this memoir the history, manners, and propen- sities of this little creature were explained, and the information it afforded must have undoubtedly con- tributed in an essential manner to calm the terror before excited. Its publication was useful in an- other point of view; for by its means the pursuits
82 THE BROWN TAIL MOTH.
of the entomologist, then confessedly in a state of infancy in this country, were looked upon with more respect, and we have no doubt contributed in an eminent degree to the advancement of the science. ;
« The attention of the public,” says Mr Curtis, “ has of late been strongly excited by the unusual appearance of infinite numbers of large white webs, containing caterpillars, conspicuous on almost every hedge, tree, and shrub, in the vicinity of the metro. polis ; respecting which advertisements, paragraphs, letters, &c., almost without number, have appeared in the several newspapers, most of which, though written with a good intention, have tended greatly to alarm the minds of the people, especially the weak and the timid. Some of these writers have gone so far as to assert, that they were an usual presage of the plague; others, that their numbers were great enough to render the air pestilential, and that they would mangle and destroy every kind of vegetable, and starve the cattle in the fields. From these alarming misrepresentations, almost every one ignorant of their history has been under dismal apprehensions concerning them.
«« Some idea may be formed of their numbers from. f the following circumstances: — In many parishes _ about London subscriptions have been opened, and the poor employed to cut off and collect the webs at one shilling per bushel, which were burned under,
THE BROWN TAIL MOTH. 83
‘Wthe inspection of the churchwardens, overseers, or ‘headles of the parish ; at the first onset of this ‘}business, fourscore bushels, as I was most credibly ‘jinformed, were collected in one day in the parish of apham.”
The Brown-tail Moth is found in many parts of Zurope. ' Albin, who published in 1720, says the caterpillars lay themselves up in webs all the winter, and as soon as the buds open they come forth, and ‘devour them in such a manner, that whole trees, and sometimes hedges, for a great way together, e absolutely bare. Geoffroy describes it as the
entirely of their foliage in the spring. It is also ‘Jnoticed by Ray. | These caterpillars have happily many enemies, they are eagerly devoured by birds ; the ichneumon . fly destroys them by myriads; and it is supposed }that the absence of the latter, from some unknown cause, might have contributed, for one or two sea- }sons, to their immense increase. As soon as they quit the egg they begin spinning the web, and, Phaving formed a small one, they proceed to feed on the foliage, by eating, like most other larvee, the upper surface and fleshy part of the leaf. In these webs they are progressively increased in size, as {Mecessity requires ; they live in societies till they ttain their last skin, when each spins a separate
~ >
84 ' THE BROWN TAIL MOTH.
web or cocoon for itself; in this it passes to the pupa condition about the beginning of May, and, after remaining about three weeks in the chrysalis! state, it changes to the perfect moth. There i more than one brood a year, the species being fo in the winged state in July and August.
t Wee 5
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20. THE COMMON SILVER LINF MOTH. Phalena Fagana,.—Brirtain.
85
COMMON SILVER-LINE MOTH.
Phalena Fagana.
PLATE XXIxX.-
Phalena fagana, Don. Brit. Ins.—Chlephora Fagana, Stephens.—Rennie’s Conspectus, page 155.
Tue antenne taper from the base; the wings are deflexed when at rest; they extend one inch and three-fourths to five-sixths ; the superior ones of a deep yellow green, having three oblique white silvery stripes across each; the lower wings and abdomen are of a pale yellow green. The male differs from the female in having the lower wings yellowish green, with a thicker snow white mar-
_ The Phalena Fagana is not one of the rarest | British Moths, and claims attention from its beauti- Tul and gay appearance. The larva is found feeding ‘on the oak in August and September. In the be- |ginning of October it spins a very extraordinary | kind of covering in the leaf of the oak, and changes to the pupa within it. This covering somewhat resembles a tent, or rather an inverted boat, being | shuttle-formed, and ne a keel or longitudinal
m
=
86 - COMMON SILVER-LINE’ MOTH.
brown ; the caterpillar is of a pale willow with three longitudinal stripes of yellow along sides ; the pupa underneath is purple.
It transforms into the perfect moth in the e of May.
30.
THE GREY-SCOLLOPED BAR-MOTH. Phalena Flavillacerius.— Britain.
87
THE GRAY SCOLLOPED BAR MOTH. Phalena Flavillacearius.
PLATE XXX.
}Phalena Flavillacearius, Harris’s Aurelian, pl. xxxiii. fig. m. page 64._-Mesia flavillacearius, Rennie’s Conspectus, page 102.
THE wings of the male one inch and five-
twelfths, to seven-twelfths ; the female one inch one-third, to one-half. The whole insect is of a pale ashy-gray, with two interrupted sesquialterous bands or bars crossing the upper wings, having black spots in the centre, and one on each of the lower ones, with two black spots. All the wings are provided with a fringe. The antenne are filiform and tapering, and the tail broad and inged. This moth was first described by Harris in his Aurelian. He received it from Mr Bolton of Hali- fax, in Yorkshire, and also in Hampshire. It is a scarce British moth, and appears in the winged state in June.
ie
88
THE GREAT EGGER MOTH. Phalena Quercus.
PLATE XXXI.
Phalena Quercus, Merian’s Insects of Europe, i. t. 10 Harris's Aurel. pl. 29, fig. a, b,c, d, e. f.—Donova Brit. Ins. iii. p. 83, pl. 103 and 104.—Lasiocampa Qu cus, (Schrank,) Rennie’s Conspectus, page 37.
Tue antenne of the male are feathered, wings are of a dark reddish brown, with bright yellow bar across each, and a clear whi spot on the centre of each of the superior wing The female has the same markings as the male, b of a paler colour. The wings of the male are ty inches and one-half to five sixths; those of the female three inches one-twelfth to one-fourth.
In the caterpillar condition it is hardly possik to distinguish the male from the female, exce that the former is smaller than the latter; the are of a pale yellow, with black lines, and slantir white streaks on the sides; but in the last stat their colours are entirely different, the female beir of a pale yellowish tint, inclining to fox colour the male is of a rich brown.
The caterpillars of the Great Egger Moth feed on the white and black thorn, ash, birch, oak, wi :
$1:
THE GREAT EGGER MOTH. Phalena Quercus.—Baritain,
THE GREAT EGGER MOTH. 89
*
ow, hornbeam, and broom, together with several ther herbaceous plants. It has been observed to ive better in the breeding cage, when regularly ipplied with fresh grass, to keep the former in a proper state of moisture.
_ The female deposits her eggs in June or July, and the caterpillars are hatched in autumn, the me depending on the state of the atmosphere. ‘hey remain in the larva state all winter, and spin i large brown case about the middle of May, with- 1 which they pass to the pupa condition, and emerge e perfect insect in June.
The eggs resemble those of a hen in shape, but fare prettily mottled with dark brown.
} The caterpillars cast their skins several times, jand always thereafter assume a new appearance, }though the general colours and character of the pecies may be traced through every stage.
' This species is common in Darent Wood, Dart- rd, New Forest, Devonshire, near London, and in the vicinity of Dublin, in Ireland.
te
90
THE GOLDEN YELLOW MOTH.
Phalena Flaviolata,
PLATE XXXII.
Phalena flaviolata, Cramer Des. de Pap.i.p. 139. pl. xxx fig. C.—Linn, Syst. Nat. p. 867. No, 240.—Pha Geometre, Seba, iv. t. 7. fig. 7, and 8, and t. 13, fig. 3 an
THE upper under wings, and body of this mo are of a very rich golden yellow, with a very br border of deep black, irregularly vandyked on anterior edge ; the shoulders and head are bla the antenne short and filiform; and the e scarlet. ¥
The under side the same as the upper side.
This moth inhabits India.
32.
THE GOLDEN YELLOW MOTH. Phalena Flaviolata.—Inbia.
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» ng 4 te, - £ ae TaN oh a ‘ . \ y athe = 2s nde See. On) we: Wi sen ae nahn ela appa: 5 PLY Aa ; f .
iv/se-
33.
THE PEPPERED MCTH.
Phalena Betularia.—Britain.
ey wet Sears
91
THE PEPPERED MOTH. Phalena Betularia.
PLATE XXXIII.
Phalena Betularia, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 862, No. 217,.— _ Fab. Spec. Inst. ii. p. 252, No. 56.—Donovan’s British _ Insects, vol.vii. p. 55. pl.237.—Biston Betularius, (Leach,) _ Rennie’s Conspectus, p. 104.
_ THE wings are entirely of an ashen gray, speckled over with black; the margins with a clouded border, and each wing is provided with a zigzag line. The wings are in general deflexed when at frest ; and in the male extend from one inch and a half to five-sixths, and in the female from two inches and one-fourth to one-third. The lower ings have sometimes a black wavy streak behind Ithe centre; body grayish; white corslet, with a black let.
1 In the larva condition, it feeds on the lime, rillow, and elm; it is of a dark burnt umber brown colour, spotted with lilac, having a reddish line on the back ; or sometimes ashy gray, with two warts ion the eighth segment, and two on the eleventh; and changes to the pupa state in September. The pupa is of a deep chocolate brown, with a few ob- e spots, and a long spine at the tip; some are
g2 THE PEPPERED MOTH.
of a deep olive green colour, while others are nearl black. It transforms into the perfect moth in th month of May, and is common in Yorkshire, D ham, Cambridgeshire, and in the neighbourhood. Edinburgh, and other parts of Scotland.
Nee Ne Pe Te ro: rs ;
“y sine tas po Fri:
34.
THE MICILIA MOTH. Phalena Micilia.—Svurinam.
THE MICILIA MOTH. Phalena Miceilia. PLATE XXXIV.
Phalena Micilia, Cram. Desc. de Pap. iii. p. 62. if 228, fig. G.
THE upper surface of the superior wings are black, with an elongated triangular white spot, widening externally, and occupying three fourths of the surface of the wings ; this spot has a trian- gular azure blue streak towards its internal angle, -and white in the middle ; beyond the larger spot, near the point of the wing, is another white upright oblong-ovate spot ; the lower wings and body are of -a fine azure blue, the former white in the centre ; the antenne are fringed, and the eyes crimson ; the white parts of the wings are clear and trans- _ parent. This insect inhabits Surinam.
94
THE EMPEROR MOTH.
Phalena Pavonia. . °
PLATE XXXV,
Phalena pavonia, Donovan's Brit. Ins. i. p. 5, pl. 1. , Harris’s Aurelian, pl. xxv. fig. g, h, p. 43.—Linn. Sys Nat. ii. p. 816.—Saturnia Pavonea Minor, (Schrank, Rennie’s Conspectus, p. 36.
THE antenne are feathered; it has no trunk the wings are expanded, horizontal, rounded, entire, with a large eyelike spot in the centre of each the first reddish brown, waved ; the second orange Those of the male two inches and a half to five sixths, and in the female two inches and a to three inches and a half, and ofa gray colour. The upper wings have a half-closed eyelet, the ti purplish, with one or two red spots; the lowe wings with a half-closed eyelet, and having a gray posterior band, and the lower margin somewhat purple. The antenne of the male are broader than in the female, and the wings of the female larger, waved with black and white, and bordered with yellow. Length, aninch ; breadth, two inches and a half.
The caterpillar is green above, the segments marked by black rings, in which are a row of yellow
35.
THE EMPEROR MOTH. Phalena Pavonia.—Baritain.
. 4 " ave < bent’! ni’ ep ag ae b vi, ie i a3 ts ae at NaS 5- i=. ¥9 Pte
| bi os ihe ee ip ie et eve }
THE EMPEROR MOTH. 95
punctated dots, from whence emanate short fasciculi : of very fine hairs ; along each side is a longitudinal yellow line; the belly is rusty brown, and the feet are black. They are subject to considerable variety of appearance, as they progress towards maturity. When young, they are yellowish; the tubercles black, with a stripe of the same colour as the segments of the joints. After this, the yellow bands become orange, and the transverse black stripes appear interrupted with longitudinal bands of pale green. Some are entirely green except the tubercles, which are yellow, and a small black speck on each joint ; and others are green, chequered with black, and marked on the side with a row of similar spots. In the winged state, however, we find no permanent and characteristic distinctions. In the earlier state the caterpillars are grega- rious. The chrysalis is black, and very blunted in shape. The conformity and likeness which prevails be- tween the male and the female throughout the greater part of the animal kingdom, cannot, how- ever, in insects be depended on; the difference is frequently such as to deceive even the most expert entomologists. The difference between the male and female Emperor Moth is strikingly obvious; the male is smaller than the female, and the colours in general darker ; the lower wings also are
96 THE EMPEROR MOTH.
orange in the male, and not so in the female; an finally, the two sexes may be determined by the structure of the antenne ; those of the male being. nearly oval, and very deeply feathered or pecti- nated, and those of the female also pectinated, but so slightly as to appear setaceous. As the structure of the antenne is an unerring criterion by which the sexes are ascertained, the Phalena Pavonia Minor is a phenomenon in entomology ; for both the male and female so perfectly resemble the female Emperor Moth, Phalena Pavonia Media, that it may be mistaken for the same species; the female differs in no respect from it, and the male only in the form of the antenne.
Linneeus, and after him Fabricius, describes three varieties of Phalena Pavonia. 1. Minor. 2. Media. 3. Major. The first is the variety found in this country, and in the north of Europe. —
Weare informed by Latreille, that a manufactory of silk from the cocoons of this caterpillar has been established in Germany.
Albin says, that in a specimen which he pre- served, the male seemed to have changed to the aurelia state on the 16th July, and in March following it emerged the perfect moth. But the time of their appearance depends.on the pro-— portion of heat or cold; Albin’s subject was pre- served from the severity of winter in a warm room. The usual time to find them in the caterpillar state
‘’ ‘
THE EMPEROR MOTH. 97
is in the month of August, and in the end of April they transform into the perfect fly.
The Emperor Moth is not by any means rare in Britain, and is to be found in Kent, Sussex, Nor- folk, and Devonshire.
The singular provision which Rasare makes for the protection of this moth, deserves particular ‘notice. When the time of its continuation in the caterpillar state is expired, by much labour it forms a kind of bag or purse-of a very tough sub- s:ance. This it fixes against the trunks of trees, &e., by a number of hairs or filaments, which re- main on the external surface. It lines the outer case by one of a firm texture, the top of which is closed by several bristles that unite in the centre, exactly representing a cap, and excludes almost the possibility of its receiving an injury during this defenceless state. In this bag it passes to the aurelia state, and remains until it transforms the perfect insect. .
Authors instance many plants as the food of the Emperor Moth ; it will live on the rose, the elm, alder, oak, the willow, and on thorns and brambles particularly.
98
THE PUSS MOTH. Phalena Vinula,
PLATE XXXVI.
Phalena vinula, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii, p. 815. No. 29,—_ Witlk’s Pap. tab. 13. fig. 1. = 1.—Donovan’s Brit. Ins, iii. p. 33. pl. 85. —Cerura vinula, (Schrank, ) Rennie’s Con- spectus, p. 32. .
THE antenne are feathered; the wings gray, streaked, and waved with dull black zigzag lines, somewhat diaphanous; the thorax and abdomen are gray, spotted with black. The wings of the male are from two inches and a half to two inches and three quarters in extent, while those of the female are from three inches and a twelfth to al third. They are of an ashy gray colour; the first pair with the upper edge spotted with black; the nervures are yellow ; they have two convergent and — slanting rows of black spots near the base, followed by a brown waved streak; towards the middle a black crescent pointing outwards, between which and the tip are two very acutely waved brownish | slanting streaks. The second pair of wings have a dingy crescent spot on the disc, and one or two spots on the hinder margin, towards the posterior” angle. 7
36.
THE PUSS MOTH. Phalena Vinula,.—Brirain.
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2 tet . APid rag fe j x.
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Fer vei TAF ae. & ey ' . : a? ma aU Ve ‘te : aod EY | y x ey " “* ~. mM iF VA i ee Sap Laat Aap é i
ET ARE CG aa Mae: RN i cis Sate P é
THE PUSS MOTH. 99
The caterpillar from which this moth is pro- duced is solitary, and is of a very extraordinary form, and has rather the appearance of a formid- able or venomous creature than the larva of a moth. It is of a bluish purple on the back, covered with small black punctated dots. This back ap- pears like a mantle in which the animal is invested ; the sides and belly are of a rich green, and each segment is provided with a small ovate rich yellow dot ; the head is short and thick, dark burnt umber brown ; it has two tails of crimson filaments at the extremity of the body, and these can be pro- truded or concealed within the base at the crea- ture’s pleasure ; when protruded, they have a con- tinual. writhing, vibratory motion; it feeds on willows, sallows, and poplars, and is generally found in great plenty where those trees grow, and in the month of July.
The larva, when attacked, defends itself by ejecting an acrid fluid from an opening in the under part of the neck.
The pupa is brown, inclosed in a hard case. _
The Puss Moth passes to the pupa state in Au- gust, in which condition it remains all the winter, and appears in the winged state about the latter end of May, or early in June following. It is found near London, in Yorkshire, and Cambridgeshire.
100
THE PEBBLE PROMINENT MOTH. Phalena Ziczac.
PLATE XXXVII.
Phalena ziczac, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 827. No. 61. Merian’s Europ. t. 147.—Donovan’s Brit Ins. iv. p. 2 pl. 119.—Notodonto ziczac, Serie 2% Rennie Conspectus, p. 23.
Tuts pretty moth is brown and white clouded like an agate, having a large clouded eyelike spo next to the exterior margin of the superior wings the wings of the male extend from an inch an two-thirds to three quarters; those of the femal from an inch and five-sixths to eleven-twelfths and the interior margin is provided with a tuft, o appendage ; the antenne are feathered, purplish and intersected with dashes of black, and a mar ginal black streak ; and the fringe is brown, dotte< with white ; the lower wings are of an ashy gray with a black marginal line, and a whitish fringe of a dark brown colour towards the posterior angle
The caterpillar of the Pebble Prominent Moth i very beautiful, and at the same time very singular
37.
THE PEBBLE PROMINENT MOTH. Phalena Ziczac.
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THE PEBBLE PROMINENT MOTH. 101
in its forms, which will be better understood by the - following figure :—
The head is dark brown; the body of a delicate rose colour, each segment being traversed by a longitudinal pale yellowish band; and the four next the perpendicular tail have punctated pink dots ; the tail segments are of a deep crimson, very wide and open at the termination, with three golden yellow spots at the extreme edge, and a circular | dot of the same colour near the body; the feet are brown. It feeds upor the willow early in June, and changes to the pupa state in the same month ; it is of a dark brown colour, and it lies in this condition within a fine brownish web, which it spins between two leaves. The perfect moth comes forth in August.
The Pebble Prominent Moth inhabits Yorkshire. Kent, Surrey, and Norfolk 5 and in Ireland, near Dublin.
102
THE LINCEA MOTH. Phalena Lincea.
PLATE XXXVIII-
Papilio Lincea, Cramer's Desc. des Ins. ii. p. 6, pl. 228, fig. B.
THE upper wings are of a deep black, which changes to an intense blue by the play of light ; the upper half of the lower wings are of the same colour, and the lower half of a deep and rich orange, the upper wings being tipped with the same colour ; the body is of a pinkish brown; the tail orange ; the antennee are filiform and tapering ; the eyes are scarlet. !
This moth is the same beneath as above, and is. an inhabitant of China.
38.
THE LINCEA MOTH. Phalena Lincea.—Cuina.
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ra Dia P sb NRE yh oh, Her AS
rw ieee 2 ia > APRS “seedy ate = am 11 Fe a =
39.
THE SPRINKLING MOTH. Phalena Liboria.—Sirrra Leone.
103
THE SPRINKLING MOTH. Phalena Liboria. - PLATE XXXIX.
Papilio Liboria, Cramer’s Desc. des Insects, iv. p. 106, pl. 345, fig. p.
THE upper wings are of an intense crimson or marone colour, with a very broad border of black, internally undulated ; and the exterior margins are also black ; the lower wings are of a reddish fawn colour on their upper half, and black on the lower half, with two lines of black on the fawn colour ; the head and shoulders are of the same fawn colour as the lower wings ; the rest of the body is intense black ; the eyes are scarlet, the antenne filiform, and the tail fringed, and somewhat fan-shaped.
This moth inhabits the coasts of Africa, particu. larly Sierra Leone.
104
THE EUPHEMIA MOTH, Phalena Euphemia,
. PLATE XL.2
Phalena Euphemia, Cramer’s Desc. des Pap. iv. p. 10 pl. 345, fig. a.
THE upper wings are black clouded, and spotte with yellowish fawn colour; the lower wings deep crimson, with a broad border of intense black the whole are provided with a fine fringe; th body is reddish brown, with transverse bands blackish brown; the antenne are filiform an tapering ; the eyes pink; and the tail fan-sha and fringed. :
This curious moth inhabits the Molluccas, an also Amboyna.
40.
THE EUPHEMIA MOTH. Phalena Euphemia.—Amsoyna.
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41.
THE MEDARDA MOTH.
Phalena Medarda.—Svrin\M.
105
‘THE MEDARDA MOTH, Phalana Medarda.
PLATE XULI.
Ph aleona Medarda, Cramer’s Desc. des Pap. iv. p. 107, : pl. 345, fig. F,
_ Tue wings are of a very intense blackish brown ; the lower ones having two streaks of a rich yellow- ish orange or umber colour, the one on the upper and the other on the lower edge of the wings ; the antenne are filiform, somewhat long; the thorax lack ; the abdomen orange, and the same tone as the wings, with a black line down the centre; the eyes are green,
_. The Medarda Moth inhabits Surinam.
VOL. III- H
106
THE BUTTERFLY MOTH. _ Phalena Papilionaris.
PLATE XLIil.
Phalena Papilionaris, Cramer’s Dese. des Pap. i. p. 45, pl. fig. a—Drury’s Insects, it. pl. 2, fig. 4.
- Boru the upper and lower wings of this are black, studded with interrupted bands of str yellow, and having a row of spots of the colour near the posterior margins of all the win the upper pair have a band or belt of azure blue their anterior margin, extending from the body nearly the tip of the wings ; the body is black; thorax having a white transverse band across shoulders, and a blue circular spot beneath, bel which is a triangular azure spot ; each segment the abdomen has a blue transverse band.
The antenne are setaceous, and the eyes red.
This moth greatly resembles a butterfly ; hen its name.
42,
THE BUTTERFLY MOTH. Phalena Papilionaris.
43.
THE SOLDIER MOTH. Phalena Militaris.—Cuina.
107
THE SOLDIER MOTH. Phalena Militaris. PLATE XLIII.
Papilio Militaris, Cramer’s Desc. des Pap. i. p. 46, pl 29, ; fig. B.
. Tue upper wings of this moth are of a dull citron yellow in the half next the body, with variously shaped large spots of black; they are black the other half, with three irregularly shaped gray -marks, which are quite transparent; the lower wings and body are of the same citron yellow as the inner half of the upper wings, with large spots of black on different parts ; the thorax is egg-sha- ped, with four small black spots across the shoulders, and a black transverse band beneath ; the antenne are rather short, and slightly setaceous ; the eyes are scarlet. There is a peculiarity in the upper wings of this moth, in being considerably less than the under ones. ,
This insect well deserves the name of a beauti- ful moth, although it has none of the dazzling colours for which many of its congeners are Se at able. It inhabits China.
108
THE MEON MOTH. Phalena Meon.
PLATE XLiy¥.
Phalena Meon, Cramer's Desc. des Pap. i. p. 118, pl. 7 fig. £. %
THE wings and body of the Meon Moth are of ; deep velvet black, variously spotted with white; towards the anterior margin are three square crim son spots ; the antenne are setaceous, and the ey deep crimson ; the tail is terminated by a funne shaped process.
The Meon Moth is a very rare insect, and i habits Berbice.
44,
THE MEON MOTH. Phalena Meon.—Brreicr.
ia [| [f) B \ me iA
\ / \
Bava rs f f }
45
THE LECTRIX MOTI Thalana Lectrix.—Cuix
109
THE LECTRIX MOTH. Phalena Lectrix. PLATE XLV.
Phalena Lectrix, Cramer’s Desc. des Pap. ii. p. 145, pl. 129, fig. c.—Linn. Syst. Nat. ii p. 834, No. 89.—Houlinin, Nat, Hist. 1. ». xi—Stiek, p. 598, pl. 92, fig. 5.
Born upper and under wings of this moth are black, the upper ones having three large irregular patches of straw colour, and a smaller circular spot of the same colour towards the insertion of the wings; they are also provided with a large trian- gular spot of white on the base, towards the shoul- ders, with two small ovate white spots near the: anterior margin, and a row of somewhat oval spots, forming an interrupted zone, a little distance from the margins, in both wings ; the lower wings have a patch of orange at their insertion, and several differently shaped ones beneath; the thorax is large, ovate, and of a black colour, with fine straw coloured spots above ; the abdomen is orange, with transverse black bands on each annulation; the head is black, and the eyes scarlet; the antennz are filiform, and somewhat long.
This moth is subject to considerable variety in the markings. It inhabits China.
110
THE WHITE SPOTTED MOTH. Phalena Albomaculata.
PLATE XLVI.
Phalena Albomaculata, Cramer’s Desc. des Pap. iv. p. 160, yi pl. 345. fig. c.-
Born upper and lower wings of this moth oA black, the former having two large straw coloured patches on each ; the lower wings with two gray- ish white spots; the thorax is large, sub-ovate 5 gray across the shoulders ; yellow on the sides, and ofa raw umber brown in the middle, the body being of the same colour ; the antenne are short and fila mentary, and the eyes scarlet.
This rare insect inhabits the coasts of Guinea.
46.
THE WHITE SPOTTED MOTH. Phalena Albomaculata.—Gutinea.
47. THE BRISK MOTH. Phalena Lepida.—Bencat.
lil
THE BRISK MOTH. Phalena Lepida. PLATE XLVII.
Phalena Lepida, Cramer’s Desc. des Pap. iii. p. 50, pl. 130, fig.
| THE upper wings of the Phalena Lepida are {black at their insertion, with a very broad green band across the middle, and a broad or umber | brown border ; the lower wings are entirely of this }last colour, as well as the abdomen ; the head and body are green, the antenne filamentary and short, and the eyes crimson.
The Phalena Lepida is a rare moth, and inha- bits Bengal. |
112
THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH. Phalena Paphia. PLATE XLVI.
Phalena paphia, Cramer’s Desc. des Pap. pl. 146, f. a. pl. 147, f. A. B. pl. 148, f. a. 5 Linn. Trans. vii. p. 83.— Phalena mylitta, Drury, ii. pl. 5, fig. 1. Male.—Bombyx mylitta, Fab. Ent. Syst. 3 a. p. 411, 11.
Tue following description of this inséct in its various stages was collected and drawn up by Dr Roxburgh,* who spent many years in India, and had an opportunity of witnessing the animal. :
“‘ The Eces are white, round, compressed, with ; a depression or pit in the centre, on each side ; the circumference crossed with ruge, corresponding with the rings of the inclosed animal. They hatch in from two to four weeks, according to the state of the weather.” {
The following ricuRE represents the eggs the size’
* Linnean Transactions, vii. p. 33.
——
Se
48,
THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH. Phalena Paphia.—Inoia.
he # “4
Sonia Ey:
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TAS) Bais FORD. Pane
THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH. 113
nature, deposited on the branch of the Jujube or
We
| “The Larva or caterpillars acquire their full size, }which is about four inches in length, and three in circumference, in about six weeks; they are nearly ithe colour of the leaves they feed on, and are com- oosed of ten segments, of which the posterior one is in some degree bifid. There isa light yellowish- Coloured stripe on each side, which runs from the jsecond or third anterior segment to the fissure of jthe last; immediately under these stripes the |middle five, six, or seven segments are marked {with an oblong gold-coloured speck. The back is also marked with a few round darker-coloured spots, and a few long, coarse, distinct hairs issue from
|
114 THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH.
these spots, with others of a smaller size scattere over the insect. They are furnished with eigl pairs of legs. The pectoral or anterior three pa’ end in a single claw each. The abdominal for
pairs, are very thick, and truncated like the feet 0. an elephant. The caudal pair is similar to tk abdominal. When the larve approach near to th full size, they are too heavy to crawl in search 6 their food with the back up, as is usual with most caterpillars, but traverse suspended by the feet.”
Bilbe
The above cut represents the caterpillar the size of nature, the day after that on which it emerged from the egg, and the following shows its appear- ance when full grown, but only half the size of life:
«The curysaLis. When the caterpillars are read to spin the cases in which they are to pass thi
THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH. 14S:
te of their existence, each of them connects, by Yeans of the recent glutinous filament of which the ‘se is made, two or three leaves into an exterior Javelope, which serves as a basis to spin the com- lete case or cocoon in; besides, the case is sus- nded from a branch of the tree in a wonderful: anner by a thick. strong consolidated cord, spun f the same materials from the bowels of the animal, as represented in the following figure, which is a
hird of the size of the cocoon inhabited by the female sect.’ This case is of an exact oval shape, and xceeding firm texture: in it the animal remains ormant and perfectly protected for about the space nine months, viz. from October until July, so t they make their appearance in time for the saterpillars to come into existence, when Providence
116 THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH.
has furnished them with the greatest plenty proper food, viz. during the months of Augu September, and October. When the insect is pré pared to make its eseape, and be changed to its p fect state, it discharges from its mouth a large quan tity of liquid, with which the upper end of the case is so perfectly softened as to enable the moth to its way out in a very short space of time ; an o tion which is always performed during the “oe «The rmaco. In their perfect state they wholly taken up in providing for a continuation of the species, and do not exist more than from six to twelve days when confined; how long they may live when at liberty is hard to say, but ] imagine nearly the same as when restrained. While in this state of perfection, they receive no nourishment whatever, nor have they any mouth or channel by which food can be received. When the female is impregnated, she deposits her eggs on the branches of the tree she may be resting on, to which they adhere firmly by means of the gluten they are covered with when newly laid. ; “ The wings of the male expand five or six in and those of the female from six to eight: the lowing part of the description applies to both:— — « The head scarcely projecting beyond the an rior margin of the first pair of wings ; eyes large, a dark brown colour ; antenne pectinated ; of male oval, of the female lanceolate; palpi fi
THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH. 117
the exterior two ascending, hairy, covering the inner vesicular, cream coloured, deflected pair, which hide a concavity where the mouth is generally situated in other species ; mouth none, nor is there any kind of proboscis or tube ; thorax oval, com- pletely clothed with long fine hair, of nearly the Hprevailing colour of the wings hereafter to be men- Itioned ; abdomen oblong, (of the female much larger,) composed of seven segments, and clothed with much long fine hair, like the thorax ; legs six, airy, nearly equal ; the tarsi with a pair of long; fstrong, incurved claws; all the articulations are wuch contracted; wings horizontal, expanded, islightly striped in the directions of the tendons ; superior, or first pair, of a cream orange buff, or brownish colour, or a mixture of these ; first, all e anterior margins rather concave, beyond that much curved, and bounded with a beautiful light bluish gray coloured belt; posterior (fan) edges Isomewhat concave, scolloped, and ornamented with fa pretty broad, beautiful, cireumscribed, scolloped border, of sometimes a darker, sometimes a lighter, Icolour than the rest of the wings ; inner or abdomi- nal edges nearly straight ; in the centre of each Iwing there is a remarkable eye, with the large pupil of micaceous transparency, and a beautiful varty-coloured iris; inferior, or second pair, are lin point of colour like the first pair; the poste- rior margins are also scolloped, and with a similar
118 ‘THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH.
border, but convex ; the eye in the centre of each is also the same; all are clothed with much sof hair, which becomes longer and longer towards tl shoulder or points of insertion. | « The following interesting history of these m¢ nl beautiful as well as most useful animals, I have he the good fortune to procure, by means of Mr Willian Pope of Mahometpore, and with the writer (M Atkinson’s) permission, I transcribe in this place :— ‘I have an opportunity of consulting two Of the hill people, in whose neighbourhood a good deal of Tusseh silk is produced, and whom I have que tioned on points imperfectly known to myself. reply to the Doctor’s questions regularly :— “1st. The cocoons of the insect, which fee¢ on the Byer leaf, are called by the natives Bughy, producing a Tusseh silk. They are annual, and ¢ said to remain in the cocoon nine months, and t be three months in the egg and worm state. ‘2d. This species cannot be domesticated. am informed that the natives cannot even retai any of it for seed. The hill people say that the go into jungles, and under the Byer and Assee trees they find the excrement of the insect; 0 which they examine the tree, and, on discoveri the small worms, they cut off branches of the tre sufficient for their purpose, with the young broo on the branches; these they carry to convenien situations near their houses, and distribute the
THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH. 119
ches on the Asseen tree in proportion to the thereof, but they put none on the Byer tree. e Parieahs, or hill people, guard the insects night d day while in the worm state, to preserve them om crows and other birds by day, and from bats y night.
LEAF OF THE JUJUBE OR BYER TREE.
‘I myself have seen them thus watching the rood. This species cannot be confined, for so soon the moth pierces the cocoon it gets away ; and the eople add, that it is impossible to wings it by any recaution whatever,
120 THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH,
‘ 3d. To wind off these cocoons, they put them into a ley made of plantain ashes and water, fox about two hours, after which they take them out of the ley, and put them in their wet state into an earthen pot ; those which are properly softened are first applied to the reel, and so’ on, as the cocoons become soft, for four or five days, till the whole a wound off.’
‘ The implement used for taking off the an is a small common reel of four bars. The cocoons are laid in a smooth earthen dish, without water; the reel is turned by the right hand, whilst the thread of four or five cocoons passes over the left thigh of the spinner, and he gives the thread twist with his left hand uporhis thigh. The ope- ration is this instant in my sight, with a thread five cocoons, the produce of another species called Jarroo, and described below, but the reeling is ex. actly the same as that of the Bughy, and therefo one description answers for both. I must add, that - the thread is exceedingly apt to come off double an treble for several yards together, which is not garded by the natives, as breaking off double threa would diminish the produce, and, moreover, woul occasion loss of time : a very even thread, howeve may with care be reeled from either the Bughy o Jarroo cocoon. .
4th. ‘The Bughy silkworm feeds indifferently on Byer and on Asseen leaves, and is a species:
THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH. 121
every respect perfectly distinct from the insect of the Palma Christi, the latter being different in size, much less cultivated, and fed in houses as regularly as the mulberry worm. I shall not proceed to de- scribe it, as the species is not at all included in Dr Roxburgh’s questions.
©The Jarroo cocoons alluded to above, are so called from being produced in the coldest month of the year, say January ; the Bughy being about a month before them. The Jarroo are likewise an- nual, and the history of them is nearly the same as that of the Bughy ; they are however different, I am assured. The Jarroo will eat the Byer leaf if he cannot get the Asseen, but he will always pre- fer the latter, and produce a better cocoon when fed on it. His silk is more of a dull colour than that of the Bughy, which latter worm the hill people put | en the Asseen alone, not because it prefers it to the Byer, but because they have greater plenty of As- seen than Byer, and, moreover, trim and dress out plots of Asseen on purpose for the worms. The principal difference between the above two species is, that the natives retain a part of the Jarroo co- eoons for seed ; these they hang out on the Asseen trees when the proper season of the moth arrives ; when the moths come out, the male insects invari- ably all fly away, but the females remain on the trees. These are not impregnated by the males bred along with them, but, in ten or twelve hours,
VOL. III. i
122 THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH.
or perhaps one, two, or three days, a flight of males» arrive, settle on the branches, and impregnate the: females ; by the bye, the hill people calculate good or ill fortune in proportion to the speedy or tardy” arrival of the stranger males. These insects die as’ soon as the purposes of nature are effected, and the females live only to produce the eggs on the branches of the trees, and then expire. In regard to they Bughy species, they all take flight, females as well’ as males, and hence the natives firmly believe that: they are all males, though I cannot see any physical: reason for supposing them so. I have frequently’ endeavoured to detain the males of the Jarroo spe~ cies, and have kept them locked up in a box for that purpose ; but whether they did not like to
make free with their female relations, or from what other cause I know not, but I could never obtain a breed in the domestic state, and the efforts of the male to escape were wonderful, and at last always effectual. The accounts given by the natives
the distance to which the male insects fly are ve astonishing. I have put, at different times an occasions, innumerable questions to them on thi subject, and they assure me that it is no uncommo practice amongst them to catch some of the mal moths, and put a mark on their wings previous letting them fly, the marks of different districts be ing known. Iam told that it has been thus ascer- tained that male moths have come from a dista
THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH. 123
equal to a hundred miles and upwards. I of course, cannot vouch for the truth of this, but have no. hesitation in declaring that I believe it. The Jar-
roo worm is guarded on the trees in like manner as
the Bughy ; this I have had opportunities of seeing
on the hills westward of me: the cocoons are darker
coloured than the Bughy species, and are wound off as described above. The accompanying skein I had
reeled off at my elbow this morning ; it consists of five Jarroo cocoons at first, of four when one cocoon
was finished, and of three when two cocoons were ended. I then stopped the reel ; the three that re-
mained of course gave a filament the entire length
of the skein.
‘ There is still another species of wild silkworm produced in the Burbhoom hills, which I heard is. more capable of being domesticated than the one above described; but I dare say you will excuse my saying any thing respecting it, as I can only speak from hearsay, the insect not being produced in these hills.
‘I send you herewith,’ says Mr Atkinson, in a subsequent communication for Dr Roxburgh, ‘a specimen of Bughy Tusseh silk. I kept the co- coons by me several days after they had been steep- ed in the alkaline ley, and they reeled just as well as if they had been newly soaked. The cocoons do not, I think, differ from those of the Jarroo species, except that they are lighter coloured. I send one
124 THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH.
which the moth has pierced, and will send for more — to take down with us. There are none of the - Palma Christi species of Tusseh to be had here, but I have sent for some. I fancy this last is the most. valuable kind, for the silk piece wove from it is’ uncommonly durable. The head sircar of the fac- tory here has an outside cover of a palanquin, which, - he tells me, has been worn eleven years ; also some purdahs, which, he says, have been in constant us nine years, and are not much decayed yet. I re- member examining the palanquin cover about five or six years ago. |
‘I have heard that there is another ‘variatio of the Tusseh silkworm in the hills near Baugli pore ; its cocoon is said to be smaller than the co- coons of the Bughy and Jarroo species; perhaps this may be the kind furnished to Doctor Roxburg by Major Hutchinson: but, after all, I confess it ma be suspected that all the variations are derived fro the same insect originally, and that they hay assumed different habits by different modes of cul ture or food.
‘ When I return from Caleutta, I shall mak particular inquiries on the subject.
‘ You will observe that the inclosed specimen is tinged of a deeper colour than the filament of th cocoon; this they say is from the alkaline ley.’
“‘ Mr Atkinson has, since writing the foregoin letters, sent me large supplies of the cocoons of bo
THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH. 125
the Bughy and Jarroo insects, and I have received parcels of them from other quarters. These have all produced their insects ; and after minute inves- tigation, 1 am not able to observe any difference, except in the size, and that is even trifling, so that I can at most only call them varieties of the same species. But very different is that which lives on the leaves of the Palma Christi plant, a species I am now able to give an account and drawings of, having often reared and conducted them through their vari- ous stages, in my own room, within these three years.
“« This moth is called the Bughy by the natives of the Burbhoom hills, where the silk (which the same people call Z'wsseh) is manufactured.
«¢ They are found in such abundance, over many parts of Bengal and the adjoining provinces, as to have afforded to the natives, from time immemorial, an abundant supply of a most durable, coarse, dark coloured silk, commonly called Tusseh silk, which is woven into a kind of cloth called Tusseh doot’hies, much worn by Bramins and other seets of Hindoos. This substance would, no doubt, be highly useful to the inhabitants of many parts of America and the south of Europe, where a cheap, light, cool, durable dress, such as this silk makes, is much wanted.”
This cloth, though of a loose texture, is uncom- monly durable, wearing constantly for fifteen or
126 THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH.
twenty years; a garment made of it is scarcely worn out in the life of one person, but often de- scends from mother to daughter ; even the covers of © palanquins made of it, though exposed to the in-— fluence of weather, last many years.
127 : |
THE ARRINDY SILKWORM MOTH. Phalena Cynthia.
Phalena Cynthia, Cramer’s Desc. des Pap: i. pl. 39, fig. a. ; Drury’s Ins. ii. pl. 6, fig. 2.; Linnean Trans, vii. p. 42.
Dr Roxburgh gives the following account of this moth through its different stages :—*
The Eces of the Arrindy Silkworm Moth on the point of a leaf of the Ricinis communis, or.common Palma Christi.
“«‘ The eggs are numerous, ovate, pure white ; size of a pretty large pin’s head. Hatch in from ten to fifteen days, according to the temperature of the air.
oly
The above figure is the size of the caterpillar of the Phalena Cynthia, the day after it is hatched.
* Linnean Transactions, vii. p. 42.
128 THE ARRINDY SILKWORM MOTH.
The Larva of the Phalena Cynthia, two-thirds the size of the animal _ when it has arrived at its full size, and ready to spin. |
“« The larve arrive at their full size, which is from two and a half to three inches, in the space of : about one month ; during which time they, like the caterpillars of the common silkworm, cast ‘their skin three or four times. They are algo composed of ten segments ; across the middle of each are several small, soft, conic-pointed tubercles ; other- _ wise they are smooth and delicately soft. The prevailing colour pale or sea green. In this state they are very voracious, devouring daily many times. their own weight of food. Like the caterpillars of P. paphia, they are furnished with eight pairs of legs, viz. three pairs of pectoral, four pairs abdomi- nal, and one pair of caudal.
THE ARRINDY SILKWORM MOTH. 129
“ The chrysalis. The cocoon, or covering thereof, white or yellowish, of a very soft delicate texture ; general about two inches long, and three in cir- umference, pointed at each end. Enveloped in his case the animal remains dormant from ten to wenty days, according to the state of the weather ; when, like the common Silk Moth, the now perfect insect, or « The imago, issues forth from one end, and in his state exists from four to eight days, during hich period it is wholly employed 1 in the grand work of nature—generation ; remaining perfectly ontented in its chamber, seldom attempting to fly away. In this respect it differs exceedingly from he Bughy and Jarroo Moths.
“ The wings of the female expand from four to five inches; those of the male considerably less.
130 THE ARRINDY SILKWORM MOTH.
In other respects the following description applies to both :— 7 |
“‘ Head roundish; eyes large, bright, dark brown antennee pectinajeds light brown; those of the male i
thorax ; palpi four, as in P. paphia ; mouth none thorax oval, completely covered with long, fine, brownish hair, with.a band of white down round the neck; abdomen oblong (in the female greatly larger), clothed with much fine white down above. and with alternate triangular spots of white ¢ brown on the sides and belly; legs six; w incumbent, expanded when, at rest; superior or first pair, faleated; prevailing colour brownish gray; a subdiaphanous, curved, white, and rug coloured band crosses from the centre of the anterios
or edge; from nearly the middle of which, on th inside, another short white bar runs to the posteri edge of the shoulder, and one to the inner part the sector edge, forming a dark angular spot in thi centre of the junction of these two small bars wi the first mentioned long one. Adjoining to the fo part of this angular spot is a semilunar, somewh pellucid speck, with a yellowish centre ; near th rounded falcated apex of each wing is a small daa coloured eye, with the anterior margin there white; their-posterior margins are entire, and cor cave towards the point, with a lighter colour
THE ARRINDY SILKWORM MOTH. 131
‘horder ; the inner margins are nearly straight and tire; both the angles are rounded; inferior, or fecond pair, are nearly of the same colour, with a hitish, horseshoe-shaped belt near the centre, ypening on the inner, or slip edge, and enclosing a emilunar spot, like that of the first pair; exterior margins entire, convex, with a somewhat waved, Highter coloured yellowish border,
‘ * Mr Atkinson, who furnished me with the most nteresting parts of the history of Tusseh silkworms, jas also contributed most of the following remarks pn this species.
«© They are, like the common silkworm, reared in domestic state, and entirely fed on the leaves of he Palma Christi plant. Their cocoons are re- markably soft and white, or yellowish ; the fila- ment so exceedingly delicate as to render it imprac- iticable to wind off the silk: it is therefore spun like feotton. The yarn thus manufactured, is wove into a coarse kind of white cloth, of a seemingly loose ftexture, but of incredible durability, the life of one (person being seldom sufficient to wear out a gar- ment made of it ; so that the same piece descends Hrom mother to daughter.
- “< Since I last wrote to you,’ says Mr Atkinson, ‘Ihave reared two parcels of Palma Christi silk- worms, with a view towards winding off the cocoons, but all my endeavours to obtain cocoons that would réel off were in vain, I even brought a man from
132 -THE ARRINDY SILKWORM MOTH.
the country where this species of silkworm is cult vated, and he laughed at my endeavours to g@!
and that they were always spun off into a threai like cotton by the women only: he attempted t} show me how, but made a very awkward hand 0 it, and a very bad specimen of thread: the ope a tion, too, appeared tedious, so that I do not t ) that any thing is to be expected from this inséet except as a natural curiosity.’ uf “Mr John Glass, the surgeon at Bauglipore writes to me as follows on the same subject :— «Tam glad to hear you have got the worm that feeds on the Ricinus, but sorry to say there ¥ no possibility of winding off the silk from the cones Inclosed is a little of some I bred a few years ago when I sent a quantity of it to the directors, bt have never received an answer. I at the samt time sent a little to my friends in England, ane ‘I understand that some manufacturers, ‘to whom i : was shown, seemed to think that we had been de ceiving them by our accounts of the shawls being made from the wool of a goat ; and that this Rid nus silk, if sent home, could be made into shaw equal to any manufactured in India.’” Li Extract of a letter on the same subject fro Henry Creighton, Esq. of Malda, dated 12th Feb ary, 1800. ‘9 Some of the silk of this worm, which was broughit
- THE ARRINDY SILKWORM MOTH, 133
o this country, on being examined by. British manufacturers, was at first by them erroneously Delieved to be the article employed in making the ich East India shawls; but, on examination, it roved to be of a much harsher nature, and to wear rery rough, and has not been found applicable to any valuable purpose. '“ The Palma Christi silkworm goes by the ame name as the plant does among the natives, which is Arrindy. They accordingly call it Ar- Bindy-worm Arrindy-thread, Arrindy-cloth, &c. They rear it in their houses much in the way the Bilkworm is reared. Their manner of spinning it is ths follows :—Four or five of the cocoons are fastened 0 a stick stuck in the ground, or sometimes they hold it in their hand. These are united into one Jthread, and made fast to a piece of wood, with hs omething heavy to make it spin round while sus- fended by the thread: when they let out sufficient ef the cocoons from their hand, it is twisted by this piece of wood spinning round, and when well twist- ed it is wound round the wood, and another length et out from the hand. The cocoons are spun wet, but only with cold water. The cloth is woven in small pieces in a loom, and is as coarse as light vit- tree, but more open; and on being washed and beaten well, is made very soft and pliable. It is entirely confined to the districts of Dinagepore and Rungpore; no other place in Bengal having got it.
134 ‘THE ARRINDY SILKWORM MOTH..
Its uses are for clothing, for both men and women} It will wear constantly ten, fifteen, or twenty years)} the merchants also use it for packing fine cloths) silks, or shawls. It must, however, be alwa’ i washed in cold water; if put into boiling water, i makes it tear like old rotten cloth. There is a cocoon produced wild upon the mango-tree, which they gather, and mix with Arrindy cocoons in spinning I have only seen one caterpillar of it, and I did not succeed in rearing it. I shall inquire for some, an¢ get a drawing made, if possible, as they cannot he sent or carried to any distance. 5 “ This insect, known to the Hindoos by the Arrindy in some parts, in others Arundi, appears’ to be peculiar to the interior parts of Bengal ; and, so far as I can learn, to two districts only, via) Dinagepore and Rungpore, where the natives breed! and rear it ina domestic state, as they do the com. . mon silkworm. The food of the caterpillar consists entirely of the leaves of the common Ricinus, ’ Palma Christi, which the natives of these district call Arrindy, (hence the name of the insect,) and i abundantly reared over every part of India, on acs count of the oil obtained from the seed. Feeding’ these caterpillars with its leaves will, therefore make it doubly valuable where they know how to) spin and manufacture the silk. t * The late Sir William Jones mentions this ani mal in a letter to Dr Anderson, dated 17th May
THE ARRINDY SILKWORM MOTH. 135
791, under the name of Phaleena Ricini, a name at I cannot well continue for fear of confounding with Fabricius’s Bombyx atienn) Which is cer- inly a very different species.”
The cocoons of the Arrindy silkworm are always un wet, but in cold water; the silk must also be shed in cold water; for, if put into hot water, tears like old rotten cloth.
136
CHINESE MODE OF REARING SILK-_ WORMS.
Havine given an account of the East Indiar silkworms, we again revert to the more interesting and -valuable species, the Common Silkworm, } Phaleena Mori, described in our second volume. De
In the districts of the Chinese empire most con. genial to the habits of silkworms, they remair quite free, feeding at will upon the leaves of mulberry-trees, and undergoing their various meta: morphoses without the aid of man. They are lefi quite unmolested until the cocoons are formed when they are immediately appropriated by man, most of the Aurelia within them are destroye and the silk wound off them. a
It has, however, been found, that silk made it this natural condition is not equal in quality ¢ fineness to that produced by the worms which
are sheltered and protected by the fostering har of man. The Chinese have reached high perfees) tion in the rearing and tendence of silkwormsy One of the greatest difficulties with which the have to contend, is preventing the premature exelt sion of the caterpillar from the eggs, to which
CHINESE MODE OF REARING SILKWORMS. 137
ire extremely subject, owing to the dry and hot
nature of the climate. This is effected by getting
the moths to deposit their eggs on large sheets of gaper, which are taken immediately after being
fextruded, and hung upon a beam of one of the
poms, while the windows are all thrown open, to_ expose them to the free circulation of the air. They
ire taken down, rolled up, with the eggs mside,
d each separate sheet of paper is hung up for the
mer and autumn. ‘Towards the close of the
season they are again taken down, and subjected to
m immersion in cold water, in which a small
fjuantity of salt has been dissolved. Here they are
eft two days, when they are taken out, dried, and
folled up more tightly than before, and each sheet
bf paper put into a distinct earthen pot. Some are
in the habit of using a ley composed of the ashes of nulberry-trees, and subject the eggs to the cooling
nfluence of snow water, or expose them on trees to
snow and rain.
The object of all this is to prevent the exclusion
f the caterpillar, till the leaves of the mulberry-
free have expanded. No sooner is this the case
han the rolls of paper are taken from the vessels,
find hung up in the sun’s rays, the eggs being
furned from them, but which are, however, trans-
nitted to them through the paper. Every night the
heets of paper are rolled up, and deposited in a
VOL. III. Sati
138 CHINESE MODE OF REARING SILKWORMS.
warm and dry place. Next day a repetition of th same process is adopted, and then the eggs becom of a pale gray colour. After being a third day subjected to the same mode of treatment, they ¢ sume a much darker hue, approaching nearly ti black ; and on the next morning, when the pape is spread out, the larve are found to have burs from their confinement in the eggs, and are foun moving about in a vivacious manner.
The Chinese have recourse to ovens for the si multaneous hatching the eggs of silkworms in th higher latitudes of that country ; and the strictes attention is paid in preserving their receptacles fo the worms, in high and dry situations ; and ever) means is adopted to preserve the purity of thi atmosphere, and the rooms are at the same tim made quite air-tight. While the worms are ye young, they are very particular in preventing thei being disturbed by noise ; but this we believe be an absurd fancy. The doors of the rooms which the worms are kept, are always open to t south. The worms are fed on hurdles, which placed in frames, ranged in tiers, eight or t deep, above each other. Great attention is paid ' the uniform temperature of the rooms; and th i is effected either by carrying chafing dishes ¢}, stoves through the apartments, or by the use ¢j stoves. Smoke and flame are carefully guard against, and the contents of a cow-house are ca’
CHINESE MODE OF REARING SILKWORMS. 139
uilly dried in the sun, and used by this people in preference to every other kind of fuel. i) Those practised in the rearing of silkworms say, hat the sooner they can be brought to a state of Hmaturity the better ; and that the quantity of silk “which they produce is more or less as they are able %o effect this. It is considered that the worms are ost productive when they are fully fed, in from wenty to twenty-five days; in which case that each drachm weight of eggs will eventually produce about twenty-five ounces of silk ; and that, if their maturity is protracted till the twenty-eighth day, hat only twenty-one ounces are produced by the jsame quantity of eggs ; and if they are not full fed Mefore the lapse of thirty or forty days, that not ore than ten ounces of silk will be the produce of ithe above quantity of eggs.
The Chinese say that much depends upon the ode of feeding, in promoting or retarding the srowth of silkworms. To ascertain this, we tried an experiment in the summer of 1833, on some aterpillars of the Cabbage Butterfly (Pontia Bras- sicee,) the Papilio Brassicce, volume first, page 186, vhich had been newly hatched. These we divided, and placed in two separate tumblers, and put them upon cabbage leaves. We supplied the larvee in one of the tumblers plentifully twice a-day with fresh abbage leaves, while those in the other tumbler had but a scanty supply, and even allowing them
140 CHINESE MODE OF REARING SILKWORMS.
to be sometimes entirely without food. At the end of a week, those which had been well fed haé acquired about a third more in bulk than them that} were kept on short allowance. About the twelfth}! day we had carried our starving system so far, that we had forgot to put leaves to them for nearly} twelve hours, after they had been completely ex- hausted ; and next morning we found most of the caterpillars adhering to the sides of the tumbler, byp very fine silky filaments. We were apprehensive,} that, having not been long enough fed, that they} might die in place of transforming into the chrysalisy and loosened them all from the sides of the tumblery and gave them a fresh supply of leaves, which, in a few minutes, they began to devour very greedily Next day, while in the act of supplying them with leaves, we found one of the larve again adhering by filaments to the piece of paper with which the tumbler was covered, and determined to leave undisturbed. It continued in this state for upward of a day ; and when we next examined it we fount | that it had changed into the chrysalis condition, but -was of a very small size, and had a thin transparent appearance. The caterpillars which had been pro= perly supplied with food now refrained from eating and prepared for transforming into chrysalides Those which had been starved still continued t6 eat, and were much less in size—a little more the a fourth. When the full fed larve had all changeé
CHINESE MODE OF REARING SILKWORMS. 141
we gave a plentiful supply of leaves, morning and evening, and in the course of four days several of ijthem grew considerably, and prepared for their transformation, and in seven days all of them had assumed the pupa state. The whole of them in due time burst from their pupa form, and became Jperfect insects, except the one which had first be- some a pupa. On opening it, we found it entirely empty ; all its vital parts having been completely dried up and absorbed. We carefully examined ithe various butterflies, but could perceive no differ- ence in the size of those which had been ill fed, Jand those which had revelled in abundance.
From the above experiment, we proved that the j#period of transformation between the larva and pupa ondition can be protracted.
In China very rigid attention is given to the cat- ferpillars in the early stage of their existence, and jfthey are fed by night as well as by day. The day jjon which they are hatched they are supplied with jforty meals, thirty on the second day, and reduced by certain proportions for some days thereafter, till hey come to twice a-day. When hazy or damp weather occurs during the feeding season, the appe- ites of the caterpillars are considerably affected by his change of the atmosphere. Those who tend hem burn straw over the worms, which dries the air, warms it, and stimulates them to feed freely. Cleanliness is considered of vital importance to
142 CHINESE MODE OF REARING SILKWORMS.
the health and vigour of silkworm caterpillars ; an next to this is plenty of free room for them to move about, the space being extended as they increase in size. |
«« When the insects are about to commence their spinning, mats are provided, in the centre of whiek a strip of rush, about an inch broad, is fixed, a extended in a spiral form, or in concentrie cireles. over the whole surface of the mat, having an 2 of about an inch broad between each circle. He the worms fix themselves to spin ; and it is found that these receptacles occasion less silk to be wasted! by them in floss, than where more space is allottec wherein their first threads can be spun. At this time the whole room is carefully covered with mats, to exclude the outward air and the light, as it & believed that silkworms work more diligently i darkness.” * This last idea, we have no doubt, is a vulgar error, for we should conceive the contrary to be the truth ; and, indeed, closing up the rooms? must have the effect of preventing the free cireulas tion of air, and consequently of injuring the health: of the caterpillars. Indeed Count Dandolo found, by strict observation, that this practice had a most: pernicious effect. The Count says, that on visitin apartments where silkworms were reared, that o the side where the sun shone directly on the hurdles}
* Cabinet Library, Silk Manufacture, p. 126.
CHINESE MODE OF REARING SILKWORMS. 143
herein the caterpillars were kept, they were more umerous and stronger than where the edges of the urdles were under the shade.
} The worms take seven days to complete the ieocoons, at which time they are collected into heaps, d those intended for continuing the breed, are lected and placed on hurdles in a dry and airy ituation. “ The next care is to destroy the chry- lides in those balls which are to be reeled. The ost approved method of performing this, is to fill arge earthen vessels with cocoons, in layers, throw- in one-fortieth part of their weight of salt upon ach layer, covering the whole with large dry leaves esembling those of the water-lily, and then closely topping the mouths of the vessels. In reeling their ilk, the Chinese separate the thick and dark from e long and glittering white cocoons, as the produce is inferior.” * Bt
* Cabinet Library, Silk Manufacture, p. 126.
144
INDIAN METHOD OF TREATMENT.
So favourable is the climate of India to the con- stitution of the Phalena Mori, or Common Silk- worm, that they are reared in sheds, and not ir houses as in China. They are constructed of lattice work, with thatched roofs. They are generally) fifteen feet broad, and their height from eight to’ nine feet, and length according to the number of worms to be reared. In the centre of the building, a path of convenient width is left for the free pas sage of those who tend them. On each side of this passage are erected twelve tiers of frame-work,: made of bamboo, in the form of shallow boxes. In these the caterpillars are placed ; and when they are fed their full time, and ready to spin their cocoons, they are separated, each into a cell formed of plaited stripes of bamboo ; and when their cocoon | is completed, they are subjected to nearly the same mode of treatment as in China.
145
DISEASES OF SILK WORMS.
In European climates the caterpillars of the silk- orm are liable to many diseases, probably the con- equence of inexperience in their mode of treatment.
In France and Italy it has long been a common ractice to give a certain quantity of silkworms to e peasantry to be reared, and in such hands, as ight have been expected, the successful cultivation f these was long but imperfectly known ; and it as not till the patriotic exertions of Count Dandolo, — at distinct and settled notions were thought of for proving the rearing, and preserving, in a healthy ondition, this most valuable of all insects. He iligently studied the habits of the silkworm in its arious metamorphoses, and immediately made own every discovery he had made, either by his itings or by giving personal instructions to those oncerned in the propagation of the worms. He ublished an enlightened treatise on the subject, hich soon led to the formation of large establish- ents in Lombardy. These were named Dandoliéres, in honour of this patriotic nobleman.
Damp stagnant air, and the presence of carbonic acid gas, appears to be one of the proximate causes
146 DISEASES OF SILKWORMS.
of disease in silkworms ; but of these damp seems to’ be the most prejudicial, as will be seen by the fol- lowing experiments :—* If a silkworm,” says Dy Lardner, “is introduced into a receiver charged with carbonic acid gas, and in which a bird would instantly die, although the worm quickly exhibits signs of uneasiness and suffering, it will live for ten, fifteen, or perhaps twenty minutes. No wa blooded animal could continue alive in such an at mosphere for half that time. If, after remaining ¢ few minutes, the worm be withdrawn from the re- ceiver, it will not exhibit any sign of injury, bu will be apparently as healthy as before inhaling this pernicious gas. The silkworm appears endueé with the power to seize upon the minutest portion of vital air which may be held by water, as it wi live for some minutes immersed in this fluid, pars ticularly in its first ages ; and, even when seemingly dead, it will revive if taken out. It would seem, however, that when its power of breathing is ob structed, the worm instantly dies. If, instead 0} plunging it in carbonic acid gas, or in water, i s eighteen breathing holes are sealed up with greas it expires instantaneously. t “ If a healthy silkworm be confined in a vessely the air in which is charged with moisture, and heated to the temperature of 80° to 90°, it wi very soon exhibit symptoms of indisposition, ¢ reject food; the skin will slacken, and the muscles
DISEASES OF SILKWORMS. 147
ften, and contraction cease. In a short time aporation will be obstructed, the secretions in- ispensable to vitality, which are effected in this imal by means of contraction,* will be suspended, 1d erelong it will perish. A warm-blooded ani- ‘Ymal, on the contrary, if sufficiently supplied with e air, can live without any suffering, and per- | all its functions without inconvenience, in such , temperature, whatever be the attendant degree if moisture. This proves how different is the structure of these two classes of animals.” Silkworms are said to be extremely sensible of rtain odours, and to be easily affected by them. obacco has been ascertained to be a deadly poison to ilkworms. Ifa few grains of snuff is thrown on them, mmediate pain seems to be felt, from the writhing f the animal; in about a minute convulsions will nsue, and death speedily follows. Before the cat- rpillar expires, it ejects from its mouth a watery iquid ; and should another larve be touched with this fluid, it is certain to prove fatal. There is a disease to which silkworms are very iable in the south of France, which is called the jaundice, from the yellow colour exhibited by the animal while labouring under the malady. This
* The skin of the silkworm has so great a power of contrac- tion, that, on being cut through, it shrinks in the manner of an “elastic substance that has been drawn out.
148 DISEASES OF SILKWORMS.
distemper is of a very contagious nature, and, cons}, sequently, as soon as it is perceived that a worm}; has been attacked by the disease, it is immediately} removed from among others. An effectual preven-} tive, invented by Abbé Eperic of Carpentras, has
been in use for upwards of twenty years pasti) Quick lime is reduced to a fine powder, and th | worms are dusted with it, and they are the supplied with mulberry leaves moistened with a few drops of wine, which they greedily devour} It has been found that all which are subjected to} this treatment escape the malady. It would appear} that the disease has its origin in mephitie vapours, arising from decayed leaves, and that the lime, which has a strong affinity for these gases, may absorb the vapour, and thus render the apartment healthy and pure; which is most. satisfactorily proved by the experiments of Mons. Blanchard, which we shall give in his own words. He says “Having procured four glass jars, nine inches im depth and five in diameter, and had cork stoppers fitted to them. In each of these I put twelve silks worms at the period of their second age; and these) I had fed four times a-day, and confined them i this kind of prison during their lives, and neve either removed their dead companions or the litte produced by them. I sprinkled the worms which were contained in two of these jars with lime, anc
kept the other two in their ordinary state to coms
DISEASES OF SILKWORMS. 149
are with them. Those without lime never pro- uced more than three small and imperfect cocoons, while in those which were sprinkled with lime, I ad very often twelve, and never fewer than nine I-sized cocoons.” He found that even a large roportion of lime had no bad effect on the worms.
The method which Count Dandolo practised, was he fumigation of the apartments with chlorine gas, Ithough this is attended with danger. Chlorade f lime, however, is less hazardous, and produces ually beneficial effects in clearing apartments of oxlous vapours.
150
ON THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF | SILK. i
THE rich yellow colouring matter which tinges all silk, more or less in its raw state, is in combi. nation with:the gum. Immersing the cocoons i 1 hot water will dissolve, to a certain extent, this gum, and leave a yellow tinge in the water. But the use of alcohol instead of water, will dissolve this matter in greater quantity. This tincture will retain its colour with little loss of intensity, even after being long exposed to the rays of the sun. The fact of this affinity of the colouring matter of sill for alcohol, suggested to Mons. Baumé the idea of bleaching silk in the following manner. )
He constructed a twelve gallon stoneware vessel, of a form nearly conical, with a wide opening the top, and a smaller one, of about an inch diameter, at the bottom, which was stopped by cork ; through the centre of which was passed glass tube, of a quarter of an inch diameter. Th tube was always stopped by a cork, except at t time wken the liquid required to be drawn of The inside of the vessel was polished very smoo with pumice-stone, to prevent the roughness frot breaking the threads in their first state.
ON THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK. 151
In this vessel were placed six pound weight of ellow raw silk, over which he poured a composi- ftion, consisting of a mixture of forty-eight pounds Hof alcohol (whose specific gravity was 0.867), with }iwelve ounces of muriatic acid in its purest state, of the specific gravity of 1.114.) The vessel was hen closed tightly up, and the contents left to digest, until the liquor became of a dusky brown mcolour ; which operation usually required about twenty-four hours. This liquor was then drawn off by means of the glass tube, and spirit of wine was constantly poured into the vessel, while the tube was left unstopped, till the liquor passed off perfectly clear, and totally free from colour. The silk was then allowed to drain, until it ceased to drop. Spirit of wine and muriatic acid of the same roportions were again poured on it, and the silk allowed to continue immersed for forty-eight hours ; by which time it had parted with all its colouring matter, and had assumed a brilliant white.
With respect to the exact time required for the immersion of the silk in the alcohol and muniatic acid, much will depend on the original colour of the silk, and also the temperature; and M. Baumé ascertained, that the silk wound from those cocoons which had not been previously baked, to destroy the aurelise, was much more easily bleached ; and that, on the second immersion, the liquor, when drawn off, was of a much paler hue, and so slightly was
152 ON THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK.
its chemical properties changed, that by the addi tion of half the original portion of muriatic acid) the liquid might be employed for a first immersion ~ of the raw silk. =f The bleaching operation was completed by pours) ing upon the silk forty-eight pounds of pure spi of wine, which was allowed to remain from twenty= four to thirty hours on the silk. There is great difficulty in freeing the muriatic acid from the silk, which can only be effectually done by subjecting i to a continued stream of running water for so hours.* . ; In England a different process is pursued, whick is by immersing the silk in a solution of soap im river water, while it is kept at the boiling point for) two or three hours; when it is taken out, well’ beaten either with a machine constructed for the purpose, or with a wooden mallet, and afterwards: washed in river water. It is then wrung, 2a again immersed in soap and water, in a cold state, with the addition of a small portion of indigo, and’ brought to the boiling point ; at which it is allowed to continue for a short time. It is then taken out, wrung, and shaken ; and dried in a stove construct=_ ed for the purpose, over the fumes of burning) sulphur, which render it of the most beautiful} whiteness. a * See Ure’s Dict. of Chemistry, article Bleaching, for more full detail of this process.
ON THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK. 153
Nitric acid has a strong influence upon silk ; and, if mixed with alcohol, changes silk to a permanent bright golden yellow colour. Thesame acid, when oncentrated and distilled off silk, yields by evapo- tation oxalic acid; and if the evaporation is still farther continued, the same acid, together with a Fquantity of yellow octohedron-sided truncated crys- als are obtained. These are free from an acid aste, but of a strong bitter, and if applied to the skin leaves a deep yellow stain. When the re- aining liquor is saturated with potash, and eva- porated, the residue is a rather yellow salt, which | detonates when placed on live coals, like nitre. Chemists suppose this to be a treble combination of |
he bitter principle above mentioned, together with nitrate of potash.
1 Silk is dissolved and corroded by the caustic } alkalis; and chlorine renders it yellow. It ields a greater quantity of volatile alkali than ost any other substance. It was found by ournefort to contain even more than hartshorn, as he obtained from fifteen ounces of silk two drachms fof volatile salt. This preparation was at one ime in high repute in England as a medicine ; and was called English Drops, or “ Guttee Angli- ane.” The cocoons of silk were reduced into a powder by Pomet, and used as a medicine. In his SHistory of Drugs he says, that silk thus prepared had VOL. III. L
'V
154 ON THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK.
* the virtues of cleansing the blood, making tt , spirits brisk, and the heart pleasant.” :
It is said, that if a thin silk veil is worn i countries where malaria is generated, that it wil have the effect of counteracting its noxious qué lities.
The water in which cocoons are immersed prepa- ratory to reeling, acquires such a strong lathery consistence, that air-bells may be made with it, which are so flexible and strong that they have beer known to remain without bursting for upwards of twenty-four hours. These bells exhibit the pris: matic colours in as high a degree as those formed 6 soap-suds. ad
Count Rumford observed, that raw silk has € remarkable power of producing pure air from water He found that, by introducing thirty grains of thi substance, first washed in water, into a thin glast globe, four inches and a half in diameter, having € cylindrical neck three-fourths of an inch wide, and twelve inches long, inverting the globe in a j filled with water, and exposing it to the action the sun in the window; in less than ten minu the silk became covered with an infinite number air-bubbles, gradually increasing in size, till, at tl end of two hours, the silk was buoyed up by the means to the top of the water. They separated themselves by degrees, and formed a collection
ON THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK. 155
ir in the upper part of the globe, which, when ‘}xamined by the established test, appeared to be ery pure. In three days he collected three and hree quarters of a cubic inch of pure air, into which wax taper being introduced, that had just before n blown out, the wick only remaining red, it stantly took fire, and burned with a bright and e flame. The water in the globe had acquired he smell of raw silk ; it lost something of its trans- arency, and assumed a faint greenish cast.
It was observed, that when this experiment was ade in the dark, only a few inconsiderable bubbles ere formed, which remained attached to the silk ; or was it otherwise when the glass globe was re- oved into a German stove. In the latter case, deed, some single bubbles had detached themselves om the silk, and ascended to the top, but the air as in too small a quantity to be either measured
r proved.
# Dr Lardner says, “ The imperishable nature of ilk, even under circumstances peculiarly unfavour- ble to the preservation of animal substances, forms nother of its qualities which is deserving of re- ark. Some years ago, the sexton of the parish of alkirk, in Stirlingshire, upon opening a grave in he churchyard, found a riband about the bone of n arm, and which, being washed, was found to be ntire, and to have suffered no injury, although it
156 ON THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK.
had lain for more than eight years in the ee and had been in contact with a body which passed through every stage of putrefaction, until ' was reduced to its kindred dust.”
157
| ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK.
THE distinction between those bodies which are apable of being excited to electricity, and those hich are only capable of receiving it from the thers, appears scarcely to have been even sus- cted till about the year 1729, when this great iscovery was made by Mr Gray, a pensioner in he Charter-House. After some fruitless attempts o make metals attractive by heating, rubbing, and ammering, he conceived a suspicion, that, as a lass tube, when rubbed in the dark, communi- ted its light to various bodies, it might possibly, flat the same time, communicate its power of at- fitracting to them. In order to put this to the test, he provided himself with a tube three feet five inches long, and near an inch and one-fifth in diameter ; the ends of the tube were stopped by cork ; and he found that, when the tube was ex- cited, a down feather was attracted as powerfully by the cork as by the tube itself. To convince himself more completely, he procured a smail ivory ball, which he fixed at first to a stick of fir, four inches long, which was thrust into the cork, and found that it attracted and repelled the feather even
158 ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK.
with more vigour than the cork itself. He aftera} wards fixed the ball upon long sticks, and upo pieces of brass and iron wire, with the same suc cess ; and lastly attached it to a long piece of pack- thread, and hung it from a high baleony, in which state he found that, by rubbing the tube, the ball was constantly enabled to attract light bodies i the court below. His next attempt was to prove whether this power could ‘be conveyed horizontally as well as perpendicularly. With this view, he fixed a cord to a nail which was in one of the beams of the ceiling ; and making a loop at that end which hung down, he inserted his packthread, with the ball which was at the end of it through the loop of thé) cord, and retired with the tube to the other end of the room ; but in this state he found that the ball . had totally lost the power of attraction. Upon mentioning his disappointed efforts to a friend, it) was suggested that the cord, which he had used to) support his packthread, might be so coarse as t¢ intercept the electric power ; and they accordingl1 attempted to remedy this evil by employing a sill string, which was much stronger in proportion than” a hempen cord. With this apparatus the experi- | ment succeeded far beyond their expectations Encouraged by this success, and attributing i wholly to the fineness of the silk, they proceeded to support the packthread, to which the ball wa
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK. 159
attached by very fine brass and iron wire, but, to heir utter astonishment, found the effect exactly he same as when they used the hempen cord ; the lectrical virtue utterly passed away ; while, on the #ther hand, when the packthread was supported by a silken cord, they were able to convey the electric virtue seven hundred and sixty-five feet. It was evident, therefore, that these effects de- pended upon some peculiar quality in the silk, Svhich disabled it from conducting away the elec- rical power, as the hempen cord and the wire had done. § The accidental discovery of Mr Gray led to whe knowledge of the non-conducting powers of — fvarious other substances; and since the nature fof electricity has been more deeply investigated, Mthe true electric properties of most substances have become known, and are now divided into elec- ics and non-electrics. The following substances are among the principal conductors of the electric uid; namely, stony substances in general, more especially those of a calcareous nature, such as lime, marble, &c., sulphuric acid, black pyrites, black lead, alum, charcoal, all the metallic ores, the ani- mal fluids, and all other fluids excepting air and foils. i The electric bodies are those substances which, when excited, collect or omit this fluid, such as amber, sulphur, jet, glass, and all precious crystal-
160 ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK.
lized stones, all resinous compounds, and all dry substances, such as silk, hair, wool, paper, &c. :
Silk was first discovered to be an electric by Gray, in the manner we have already related ; bu as it was by no means remarkable for emitting sparks, which most commonly engages the atten- tion, its electric virtues were almost entirely over- looked till the year 1759. At that time Mr Symmer presented to the Royal Society some pa~ pers, containing a number of very curious experi- ments made with silk stockings, in substance as follows :—
He had been accustomed to wear two pairs of silk stockings, a black and a white. When thes e were put off both together, no signs of electricity appeared ; but on pulling off the black ones from the white, he heard a snapping or crackling noise, and in the dark perceived sparks of fire between them. To produce this and the following appear ances in great perfection, it was only necessary to draw his hand several times backward and forward over his leg with his stockings upon it. .
When the stockings were separated, and held at a distance from each other, both of them appeared! to be highly excited ; the white stocking positively, and the black negatively. While they were kept at a distance from each other, both of them appeared) inflated, to such a degree, that they exhibited th entire shape of the leg. When two black or two)
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK. 161
vhite stockings were held in one hand, they would pel one another with considerable force, making n angle seemingly of thirty or thirty-five degrees. hen a white and black stocking were presented o each other, they were mutually attracted ; and, permitted, would rush together with surprising iolence. As they approached, the inflation gra- ually subsided, and their attraction of foreign bjects diminished, but their attraction of one an- “ther increased ; when they actually met, they be- me flat, and joined close together like as many olds of silk. When separated again, their electric irtue did not seem to be in the least impaired for aving once met ; and the same appearances would
exhibited by them for a considerable time. When ithe experiment was made with two black stockings one hand, and two white ones in the other, they ere thrown into a strange agitation, owing to the fattraction between those of different colours, and the repulsion between those of the same colour. # This mixture of attractions and repulsions made the stockings catch at each other at greater distances than otherwise they would have done, and afforded a very curious spectacle.
When the stockings were suffered to meet, they — stuck together with considerable force. At first Mr Symmer found they required from one to twelve ounces to separate them. Another time they raised seventeen ounces, which was twenty times the
162 ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK.
weight of the stocking that supported them, 2 this in a direction parallel to its surface. Wher one of the stockings was turned inside out, and pi within the other, it required twenty ounces to s@} parate them; though at that time ten ounces wer sufficient when applied externally. Getting tk -black stockings new died, and the white ones washed, and whitened in the fumes of sulphur, ¢ n then putting them one within the other, with th rough sides together, it required three pounds three ounces to separate them. With stockings oj a more substantial make, the cohesion was. stil greater. When the white stocking was put within the black one, so that the outside of the white was contiguous to the inside of the black, they raised nine pounds, wanting a few ounces ; and when the two rough surfaces were contiguous, they raised! fifteen pounds one pennyweight and a half. Cute ting off the ends of the thread, and the tufts of sill which had been left in the inside of the stockings, was found to be very unfavourable to these experi ments. Mr Symmer also observed, that pieces of whi and black silk, when highly electrified, not only” eohered with each other, but would also adhere to) bodies with broad and even polished surfaces, though these bodies were not electrified. This hey discovered accidentally ; having, without desigr thrown a stocking out of his hand, which stuck to)
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK. 163
Hhe paper-hangings of the room. He repeated the Pxperiment, and found it would continue hanging “hear an hour. Having stuck up the black and White stockings in this manner, he came with an- | ther pair highly electrified; and applying the “vhite to the black, and the black to the white, he arried them off from the wall, each of them hang- g to that which had been brought to it. The amie experiments held with the painted boards of he room, and likewise with the looking-glass, to She smooth surface of which both the white and the black silk appeared to adhere more tenaciously than o either of the former. ® Similar experiments, but with a greater variety of circumstances, were afterwards made by Mr ®igna of Turin, upon white and black ribands. He took two white silk ribands just dried at the fire, d extended them upon a smooth plane, whether conducting or electric substance was a matter of difference. He then drew over them the sharp dge of an ivory ruler, and found that both ribands ad acquired electricity enough to adhere to the lane; though, while they continued there, they jhowed no other sign of it. When taken up sepa- ately, they were both negatively electrified, and would repel each other. In their separation, electric parks were perceived between them; but when again put on the plane, or forced together, no light Iwas perceived without another friction. When, by
164 ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK.
the operation just now mentioned, they had a quired the negative electricity, if they were place not upon the smooth body on which they had be rubbed, but on a rough conducting substance, the would, on their separation, show contrary electrie ties, which would again disappear on their being joit ed together. If they had been made to repel ez other, and were afterwards forced together, ar placed on the rough surface above mentioned, they would in a few minutes be mutually attracted, the lowermost being positively, and the uppermost negatively electrified. * If the two white ribands received their friction upon the rough surface, they always acquired cons trary electricities. The upper one was negatively and the lower one positively electrified, in what. ever manner they were taken off. The same changé was instantaneously done by any pointed conducto If two ribands, for instance, were made to repel) and the point of a needle drawn opposite to one of them along its whole length, they would immi diately rush together. The same means which produced a change electricity in a riband already electrified, wo communicate electricity to one which had not as y received it, viz. laying the unelectrified riband u on a rough surface, and putting the other upon or by holding it parallel to an electrified ribanc and presenting a pointed conductor to it. H
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK. 165
mplaced a riband that was not quite dry under an- #>ther that was well dried at the fire, upon a smooth lain; and when he had given them the usual iction with his ruler, he found that, in what anner soever they were removed from the plane, € upper one was negatively, and the lower one sitively electrified —If both ribands were black, these experiments succeeded in the same man- er as with the white. If, instead of the ivory ler, he made use of any skin, or a piece of smooth lass, the event was the same; but if he made use f a stick of sulphur, the electricities were in all es the reverse of what they had been before the ibands were rubbed, having always acquired the sitive electricity. When he rubbed them with paper, either gilt or not gilt, the results were un- rtain. When the ribands were wrapped in paper, Weilt or not gilt, and the friction was made upon the paper laid on the plane above mentioned, the rib- ilands acquired both of them the negative electricity. If the ribands were one black and the other white, whichever of them was laid uppermost, and in whatever manner the friction was made, the black generally acquired the negative, and the white the positive electricity.
~ He also observed, that when the texture of the upper piece of silk was loose, yielding, and retiform, like that of a stocking, so that it could move and be rubbed against the lower one, and the rubber
166 ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK.
was of such a nature as could communicate bu little electricity to glass, the electricity which the upper piece of silk acquired did not depend upor the rubber, but upon the body on which it was laid. In this case, the black was always negative and the white positive. But when the silk was hard, rigid, and of a close texture, and the rubber of such a nature as would have imparted a great degree of electricity to glass, the electricity of the upper piece depended on the rubber. Thus, ¢ white silk stocking, rubbed with gilt paper upon glass, became negatively, and the glass positivel electrified. But if a piece of silk of a firmer tex- ture was laid upon a plate of glass, it was alway electrified positively, and the glass negatively, if it was rubbed with sulphur, and for the most ee if it was rubbed with gilt paper.
If an electrified riband was brought near an insulated plate of lead, it was attracted, but very feebly. On bringing the finger near the lead, a spark was observed between them, the riband wa ; vigorously attracted, and both together showed no signs of electricity. On the separation of the riband, they were again electrified, and a spark was peng ceived between the plate and the finger.
When a number of ribands of the same ecloull were laid upon a smooth conducting substance, and the ruler was drawn over them, he found, that when they were taken up singly, each of them gave
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK. 167
Isparks at the place where it was separated from the other, as did also the last one with the conductor ; d all of them were negatively electrified. If hey were all taken from the plate together, they ohered in one mass, which was negatively electri- ied on both sides. If they were laid upon the bugh conductor, and then separated singly, begin- 1ing with the lowermost, sparks appeared as before, but all the ribands were electrified positively, except the uppermost.—If they received the friction upon the rough conductor, and were all taken up at once, all the intermediate ribands acquired the lectricity, either of the highest or lowest, according as the separation was begun with the highest or he lowest. If two ribands were separated from the bundle at the same time, they clung together, jand in that state showed no sign of electricity, as one of them alone would have done. When they were separated, the outermost one had acquired an electricity opposite to that of the. bundle, but uch weaker.
A number of ribands were placed upon a plate of metal, to which electricity was communicated by means of a glass globe, and a pointed conductor held to the other side of the ribands. The conse- quence was, that all of them became possessed of the electricity opposite to that of the plate, or of the same, according as they were taken off; except
168 ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK.
the most remote, which always kept an electric opposite to that of the plate. The following experiments were performed | Mr Nicholson, on an improved method of excit tion, as well as the action of points, and the di tion of the fluid in positive and negative electricit 1. A glass cylinder was mounted, and a cushi applied with a silk flap, proceeding from the ed of the cushion over its surface, and thence hi round the cylinder. The cylinder was then exci by applying an amalgamed leather in the usu manner. ‘The electricity was received by a cot ductor, and passed off in sparks to Lane’s elect meter. By the frequency of these sparks, or by number of turns required to cause spontaneous é; plosion of a jar, the strength of the excitation w ascertained. 2. The cushion was withdrawn about one i from the cylinder, and the excitation performed | the silk only. A stream of fire was seen betwee the cushion and the silk ; and much fewer spar. passed between the balls of the electrometer. 8. A roll of dry silk was interposed, to preve the stream from passing between the cushion ¢ the silk. Very few sparks then appeared at electrometer. 4. A metallic rod, not insulated, was then inters) posed instead of the roll of silk, so as not to touch |
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK. 169
y part of the apparatus. A dense stream of electricity appeared between the rod and the silk, and the conductor gave very many sparks.
5. The knob of a jar being substituted in the place of the metallic rod, it became charged nega- tively.
6. The silk alone, with a piece of tinfoil applied behind it, afforded much electricity, though less than when the cushion was applied with a light pressure. The hand being applied to the silk as a eushion, produced a degree of excitation seldom equalled by any other cushion.
7. The edge of the hand answered as well as the palm.
8. When the excitation by a cushion was weak, a line of light appeared at the anterior part of the cushion, and the silk was strongly disposed to re- ceive electricity from any uninsulated conductor. These appearances did not obtain when the excita- tion was by any means made very strong.
9g. A thick silk, or two or more folds of silk, ex- cited worse than a single very thin flap. The silk used was that which the milliners call Persian.
10. When the silk was separated from the cylinder, sparks passed between them ; the silk was found to be in a weak negative, and the cylinder in a posi- tive state.
The foregoing experiments show that the office
VOL. III. M
170 ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK.
of the silk is not merely to prevent the return electricity from the cylinder to the cushion, but th it is the chief agent in the excitation, while t cushion serves only to supply the electricity, an perhaps increase the pressure at the entering pe There likewise seems to be little reason to douk but that the disposition of the electricity to escay from the surface of the cylinder, is not prevente _ by the interposition of the silk, but by a comper sation after the manner of a charge ; the silk beir then as strongly negative as the cylinder is positive and lastly, that the line of light between the sil and cushion in weak excitations, does not consi of returning electricity, but of electricity whi passes to the cylinder, in consequence of its. n¢ having been sufficiently supplied during its contagy with the rubbing surface. |
171
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS.
SOME MOTHS REJECTED BY BIRDS.
Mr BiytH mentions, in the Field Naturalist’s Magazine,* a singular circumstance, which is quite ew to us, namely, that the Magpie Moth (Adrazxas rossulariata) is rejected as food by various in- ectiverous birds, but is unable to account for the cause of this. “ I have a nightingale,” says he, * which will readily take food from the hand, and hich, like all other insectiverous birds, is most oraciously fond of lepidopterous insects in general ; ut the Magpie Moth he constantly refuses, though have seen him swallow in succession three or four f the Large Yellow Under-Wings, (Z'ripheena.) once even kept my insect-eating birds without ood beyond their usual time, when I threw into heir cage a variety of common moths, amongst hich were three or four of the Abraxas Grossu- riata ; but the latter were even then rejected, hough the other various species were devoured eedily. One, however, was swallowed by a
* Vol. i. p. 549.
172 MISCKLLANEOUS FACTS.
Whin-Chat (Saxicola Rubetra), but he did take a second ; and J noticed a Tree-Pipit (Ant Arboreus) take one of them in his mouth, whic on tasting, he refused. The caterpillar, also, rejected by all these various birds. May not th be a principal cause of the Magpie-Moth being o of the most abundant species we have ?”
The same gentleman has made another interes ing discovery respecting the eyes of the Dark Arch Moth. He says:—* A few weeks ago, on seei a remarkably fine specimen of the Dark Are Moth (Xylophasia polyodon), I caught it, ar placed it m a small box, which I happened to ha in my pocket. On my return home in the evenin when it was almost dark,I gently lifted up the li and was not a little amazed to perceive that t moth’s eyes had the power of converging the fe rays of light, shining in the dark like two lit stars, with considerable brilliancy. Ten minut afterwards, however, when I again looked at t moth, I was surprised to find that its eyes we not visible at all, showing that this faculty is ¢ pendent on the will of the animal. I have sir examined a considerable number of moths, in rious genera, but only in one instance have I ag had the satisfaction of beholding this beaut phenomenon. This was ina common Golden Tail) (Porthesia chrysorrhea ;) but the appearance wai) not so bright as in the Xylophasia. It show :
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS: 173
owevyer, that moths, like many other nocturnal imals, are endowed with this curious power, to able them to see their way clearly at a time
hen the vision of diurnal creatures is of little or 0 avail.” *
Variety of the Peacock Butterfly.
In the first edition of this work we gave the Habove figure of the Peacock Butterfly, and described its ordinary form, omitting to point out the peculiar- ities of its conformation.
This specimen was captured near Oxford in 1828, and is a curiously shaped variety. The supe- lor wings are about a‘fourth larger than the inferior nes, in proportion to those of the ordinary speci- ens ; the whole insect being much more triangular
its general form, and the indentations on the argins of both upper and under wings considerably
* Field Naturalist’s Magazine, vol. i. p. 550.
174 MISCELLANEOUS FACTS.
more acute, than those which are to be found in t same species generally. The difference here poin ed out, will be rendered more obvious, by paring it with the figure which we have substitu for it, Plate II., page 120.
In the Field Naturalist’s Magazine, volei 1. p. 29 there is a curious specimen of a butterfly figure whose wings are like those of opposite sexes,
175
4
MIGRATIONS OF PAPILIONACEOUS INSECTS.
In addition to what we have said on this subject Jat page 100, volume I., we subjoin the following Hremarks :—That “ the extent to which insects mi- } grate,” says Mr Blyth, “ or rather wander, seems never to have sufficiently engaged the attention of entomologists. Most persons must have remarked, on perusing an account of the localities of our rarer strong-winged insects (such as the Sphingide, many of the butterflies, &c.,) how very many of them }have been principally taken on the eastern and }southern coasts of the kingdom. My friend, to whom I am indebted for the above information on birds, mentions having seen several small moths flying out at sea, when about ten miles distant from the Suffolk coast ; one only of which was captured, Wwhich I find to be the Lampetia defoliaria. Mr | Stephens, also, records an instance of the Death’s- head Hawk-moth (Acherontia atropos) being cap- | tured four miles at sea ; and I have myself observed }/numberless instances of diurnal moths and butter- flies, flying at a considerable distance from land.
I have repeatedly seen the Humming-bird Hawk.
176 ‘MIGRATIONS OF PAPILIONACEOUS INSECTS.
moth {Macroglossa stellatarum) fly straight out sea ; also, on two or three occasions, the Cloude Yellow Butterfly (Colias Edusa,) the Small Cor per Butterfly (Lycena Phiceas,) and once, th Wall Butterfly (Hipparchia megera.) I hav picked up, also, in the Isle of Jersey, amongst th rejectamenta of the sea, a drowned specimen of th large Rhinoceros Beetle (Sinodendron cylindr cum,) and I eould here enumerate various othe instances of insects being captured in the Channel but the species in which, of all others, I have mos frequently observed this wandering propensity, the beautiful Painted Lady Butterfly (Cynthi Cardui.) 4 ‘«¢ There is not, perhaps, any lepidopterous inse¢ whatever, the natural history of which would com. prise so many curious particulars as that of th interesting and elegant butterfly, Cynthia Cardw All the insects, it will be observed, whose name are above mentioned, are known to possess a widé geographical range ; but the Painted Lady Butters fly may be even said to be an inhabitant of the world at large. Mr Rennie informs me that he has seen specimens from America, from the Caucasus, and from China; I have seen them from No America: the species is said also to occur in Ota heite and Australia, and it is undoubtedly found in Africa. Reports, however, of this kind must be received with some degree of caution, as, withou
rf an
MIGRATIONS OF PAPILIONACEOUS INSECTS. 177
actual and careful comparison, distinct species may ave been confounded together. Many birds (par- icularly of the order Grallatores) were once thus id to inhabit all parts of the globe; until it was shown, by careful and minute comparison, that different creatures had been confused together: I allude to the species of Scolopaz, Charadrius, Tha- lasidroma, &e., which, though closely resembling each other, are now proved, by various and constant characters, to be distinct. There can, however, be no doubt but that the Painted Lady Butterfly has an amazingly wide range of geographical distribu- tion, and I think it may be fully accounted for by the strange wandering propensities of the insect.
‘“‘ Of this I have just witnessed a very remark- able example. I had often observed this species _ to fly straight out to sea, and I have noticed it ata considerable distance from land; but, until within this last fortnight, I never knew them travel in immense flocks. On the 8th of this month, (Oc- tober 1833,) this beautiful butterfly abounded in all the gardens about this place; upwards of twenty were counted on one clump of dahlias ; and, at the same time, they were noticed in equal abundance in a garden about half a mile distant from that in which those dahlias grew. None had been previously observed in the neighbour- hood, and all that were seen on that day were very
much rubbed and injured, so that they had evi-
178 MIGRATIONS OF PAPILIONACEOUS INSECTS.
dently been long excluded from the chrysalis, at had perhaps travelled a considerable distance. | was unable to ascertain the direction from whi they came, neither could I discover the routé) which they pursued ; for a single day the species appeared every where in abundance, and the da after not one was any where to be seen. On th morning of the 10th, however, I observed a sin one flying swiftly to the eastward ; and since thag) time several others have been seen; but, as thes last were all perfect and uninjured insects, I ¢ not consider that they formed part of the immens flight which passed this place on the 8th. It w be remembered, also, that this same butterfly if the species which passed in such incalculable mul4 titudes through Switzerland some years ago; ¢ occurrence, the description of which must be fami liar to every student of entomology.* . * Does not this ascertained fact, of insects thus) travelling in enormous flocks from one district td) another, explain, in some measure, the sudden) appearance of a particular species in vast numbers) in a neighbourhood where it is usually considered) rare? It certainly does seem, in many instances, |
% This circumstance is described at page 102, vol. i., and at page 98 of the same volume in the first edition, fi
MIGRATIONS OF PAPILIONACEOUS INSECTS. 179
however, from the present subject, to treat on the wonderful irregularity of insect appearance ; some eurious facts concerning this I will reserve for a future opportunity ; but it is nevertheless worthy of being observed here, that the Painted Lady Butterfly, which is remarkable, in most places, for the extreme irregularity of its occurrence, is equally remarkable in others, (as in some parts of the west of England, and in Jersey,) for appearing with great regularity.
*« A very singular circumstance is also related of the Cynthia Cardui, by Mr Knapp, in his amusing and excellent ‘ Journal of a Naturalist.’ After some other remarks on the species, he observes that ‘ some years ago a quantity of earth was raised in cutting a canal in this county (Gloucestershire ;) and in the ensuing summer, on the herbage that sprang up from the new soil on the bank, this but- terfly was found in abundance, where it had not been observed for many years before.’ Might we not reasonably expect, if the soil about Hamp- stead were to be turned up, on any occasion, to some depth and extent, that the extraordinary and distinctly marked butterfly, Cynthia Hampstedien- sis, would reappear, although so many-years have now elapsed since it was last seen ?” *
* Field Naturalist’s Magazine, p. 469.
180
ORGANS OF HEARING.
THERE is no part of the physiology of inse more interesting, and yet still in such doubt, ¢ whether or not they enjoy the sense of hearing i the same manner as other animals..
Professor Rennie has published, in the Fie Naturalist’s Magazine, several papers containi some very interesting discussions on this subject which we shall endeavour to condense, adding su matter as occurs to us as throwing light on this in tricate suject. In the first place, he has translate Straus-Diirckheim’s excellent paper, from his wor on articulated animals.
It is now generally ‘believed that the antenns are the organs of hearing ; and this idea is strongly supported by Diirckheim. In condemning the notio of their being the organs of touch, he says, ‘* Man insects, besides, have their antenne so short, the they would be obliged to stand erect on the crown” of their heads in order to come at the bodies which they might thus wish to explore, and for this their | feet are much better adapted. |
“ Since almost all articulated animals possessing a solid skin have antennee, which are furnished’
ORGANS OF HEARING. 181
ith nerves of an extraordinary thickness in pro- portion to their own size, there cannot remain a doubt that they are organs of some sense, and that too a very acute one.
«I have said, that insects are proved by obser- vation to be furnished with an organ of hearing. It is, indeed, scarcely probable that creatures such as the tree-hopper (Cicada), and the locust (Locusta), to which nature has given the faculty of producing a peculiar sound, by means of an appropriate organ, should, at the same time, be deprived of the means of hearing such sounds, inasmuch as these can have reference only to their own kindred. It is still farther proved, that these insects share the faculty of hearing, along with all other living beings, by their ceasing to sing the instant they fear they have been discovered.” *
«< T once was observing,” says Kirby, ‘ the mo- tions of a weevil (Apion) under a pocket micro- I scope: on seeing me, it receded. Upon my making a slight but distinct noise, its antenne started: I repeated the noise several times, and invariably with the same effect. A beetle (Haspalus,) which I was holding in my hand, answered the sound in the same manner repeatedly. I will now mention another effect that I observed, still more remark- able. A little moth was reposing upon my window ;
* See Field Naturalists Magazine, i. pp. 59, 60,
182 ORGANS OF HEARING.
I made a quiet, not loud, but distinct noise: t antenna nearest to me immediately moved towa: me. I repeated the noise at least a dozen ti and it was followed every time by the same moti of that organ ; till at length the insect, being alarme became more agitated and violent in its motic In this instance it could not be touch ; since the ¢ tenna was not applied to a surface, but dire towards the quarter from which the sound came, if to listen. It is necessary, however, to remé that there is a want of precision in these expe ments, as no precautions are mentioned to have be taken to hide the cause of the noise from the ey of the insect.” *
“ It is important to remark, with regard to thi inquiry, that no effect is likely to be produced upom insects by sounds unconnected with their habits ; for even the timid hare will scarcely bend its ear the clang of a peal of bells, or the beat of a drur while the bark of a lapdog would put it to immes diate flight ; and though a flock of rooks, as we have frequently remarked, will feed unalarmed during a violent thunder-storm, the report of a fowling-piecey though ever so distant, or even of a boy’s pop-gun, will instantly rouse them. The same holds wit respect to insects ; and accordingly the quick-eared grashoppers, locusts, and crickets, will not pay any
* Introduction to Entomology, vol. iv. p. 242. + Huber on Bees, p. 285,
ORGANS OF HEARING. 183
ttention to the beating of a watch, the ringing of . glasses, or any similar noise, while the object is kept out of their sight,—but the rustle of leaves, or the seemingly noiseless tread of one of their own species, ear them, puts them in a moment on the alert.— Having at present about a dozen of different species fof this order alive, we have repeated these experi- ments in every possible form; but the most im- portant, with respect to the antenne, is that, when - fa leaf or a bit of paper is rustled under a table, the green grashopper (Acrida viridissima) im- mediately bends one or both of its long antenne Hin the direction of the sound, just as a rabbit would Hdo its ears if similarly alarmed. The same effect His produced when a large beetle, in a box, is placed out of sight near it; and when placed behind, it bends the antenne back over the body, and bustles to get out. It is obvious to us, indeed, that it is partly, if not wholly, in consequence of the great
ength of their antenne that these insects hear so eutely ; and we think we have remarked that the species in which they are short have a less perfect sense of hearing. In the capricorn beetles (Lamia, §c.), which live on the wood and bark of trees, the antennee are also very long, for the purpose, it may 2, of warning the insect of the approach of snakes, izards, or the voracious woodpecker, whose loud apping, however, it will not be difficult to recognise. ‘The pretty moths, called by our London collectors
| | | |
184 ORGANS OF HEARING. »
the Long-homed Japan (Adela, Latretiue), b their antenne prodigiously long; and as they pear early in spring, even, as Latreille remark before the oak is in leaf, may not these organs to give them quick intelligence of the approach birds, who are then most eager in hunting af insects? Be this as it may, these little moths exceedingly timid, and, though not of very ray flight, will start off at the slightest rustle.” *
«* When observing the various actions of inse we see them suddenly stretch their antenne fo wards in case of noise, danger, or, in general, wh any thing is done to attract their attention ; 2 they keep them thus stretched forward as long their attention continues, a circumstance w proves that the antenne serve the purpose apprising them of what passes at a distance, ¢ consequently must either be organs of hearing organs of smell. M. Réaumur, (Mém. des Insee i. 643,) while he rejects the opinion that the e tenne serve to explore objects, thinks it possib they may be the organs either of some unknoy sense, or of smell. The latter opinion, however, supported by no fact either anatomical or physio# logical ; nor is it at all even probable, inasmueh as the antenne are not soft and lubricated, as ob! servation proves to be necessary for this kind (
* See Insect Miscellanies, pp. 108, 109.
hl
ORGANS OF HEARING. 185
ensation : it appears to me more plausible to infer - hat the antennz serve for the perception of sounds. his opinion is founded partly on the analogy of what yecurs in the larger animals, who prick up their ears inder similar circumstances in order to hear better ; nd partly because, on following the progress of legradation in the organ of hearing from the first pf the vertebrate animals (Vertebrata), we arrive gain in the last analysis at the antenne of articu- ated animals, by a sort of transition occurring in Hhe lobster and craw-fish (Astacus), a genus in Which this organ occurs in the simplest form, com- dared with that of superior animals.”
[The author here goes into several details illus- Brative of this last statement, which we shall omit,
s of less weight than what follows. |
«« The solidity of the envelope of antennz renders ese organs well adapted to undergo the same ibrations as the air, in the same manner as the rings of an AXolian harp vibrate and emit various ounds, according as they are differently struck by he air. In this view, however, we might infer Shat nature would have made antenne in the form If rods, consisting of a single piece, in order that hey might be more susceptible of vibrations ; but ought to be considered, that these organs would, y such a conformation, have been much exposed o breaking, while, in consequence of their jointed — | VOL. Ill. ail
186 ONGANS OF HEARING.
form, they have the advantage of regulating t degree of vibration at pleasure, as may indeed | observed when insects listen with attention ;— mean, that the joints of the antenne perform th same functions as the chain of small bones in chamber of the human ear, inasmuch as they for a similar chain, and transmit the vibrations of th air to the auditory pulp.” * On this subject, Bonsdorf says, “ There a none who know not that there exist many kine of insects which can produce sounds variously 1 dulated, and sometimes acute buzzing noises, f exciting which they are furnished with proper ir struments, which will be explained more fully ( it please God) on another opportunity. «« We ought not surely then to represent as usele’ to the insects themselves, the voice at one time fierce, at another the pure messenger of joy, hee whilst we enter the woods and groves, or wé through the meadows, resounding at one time wi the shrilling of gnats, and at another with the v rious nuptial songs of grashoppers and crickets. «« The more attentive observers and describers the economy of the honey bees,' mention differene in their sounds, such as a humming early in t morning when the working bees go out upon thé flower. choosing excursions; another, whilst they r
* See Field Naturalisi’s Magazine, i. pp. 60, 61, —
ORGANS OF HEARING. 187
tum to a peaceful rest in the evening; another, while they call forth the whole hive in defence of the state against the attacks of enemies; another, } while they clean their hives from filth; and an- Jother, whilst the queen-bee leads forth a swarm to Hseek new settlements. Now, I ask those who deny j hearing to insects, what can be the use of sounds }so variously modulated, unless the bees can by J hearing discriminate those sounds ?” *
““ Not once, but a hundred times, I have tried by
experiment the acuteness of hearing in insects, as
ften as I have delighted my mind with contem- i plating the beauties of nature in study during the summer nights, destined otherwise for the purpose of recruiting exhausted strength. In such cases, Show much attention is requisite to avoid disturbing ithe roaming moths, and how rapid is their flight on ithe least noise being made, even before I could have imagined that the noise could have reached their ears.
«¢ Unless, therefore, every circumstance misleads me, the inference is correct, that there is a constant Hrelation between the power of expressing various sounds and the power of perceiving the same ; and this is strengthened the more as it is more clearly fiseen and proved by sad experience in the case of a man born deaf and dumb, which appears to prove
* Field Naturalist’s Magazine, i. p. 295.
188 ORGANS OF HEARING,
that hearing is the inseparable companion of power of uttering sound.” *
After dilating at considerable length on tk subject, Bonsdorf says, ‘‘ There remains only on doubt, which the diligence of an after age may re move, namely, what openings the tremulous wave of sound may have reserved for them in the inmos recesses of the antennee, since these organs are ter. minated by no open mouth ; or whether these pore and openings between the joints be concealed, by which the very tender members connecting the joints alternately may be struck, for which use thes¢ holes, invisible to the naked eye, seem clearly to b arranged, and fitted equally for hearing, as thé smallest bones of the semicircular canals in the larger animals.
«‘ Nothing more, therefore, is requisite in this case for confirming this opinion, than to show that they antennee are active and watchful whenever they are exposed to hostile and sudden sounds. ,
« J have examined, by many and various experi-- ments for several years, insects of different kinds, | in which the size of the antenne was different, and such experiments, provided due care and attentior are employed, cannot be performed without the most striking results. In proportion, also, as th summer season was. agreeable, and the weathe
/
* Field Naturalist’s Magazine, i. p. 296,
ORGANS OF HEARING.’ 189
mild and serene, my success was greater and more delightful. As all my observations agreed in this one circumstance, I omit to enumerate them; for the antenne being erect as soon as they were put on the alert, they were moved hither and thither by means of loud sounds, for they disregard- ed such as were very small. These they may be said to have drunk in; and if alarmed by new sounds, they rejoiced when they could effect their escape as soon as possible, and preserve life and safety by the most rapid flight. So I have observed very frequently when the antenne were folded up in the Lepture, Elateres, Curculiones, Papiliones, Apes; nay, even the house-fly, as soon as they were moved and excited by irregular sounds or ‘noise, would erect their antenne, and betake them- selves to flight, without any other excitement. The Sphinges again, and Phalene, during the night, fly about the flowers of the marragon and other lily plants, emitting an agreeable smell; during the night, scarcely could a voice be raised then they would turn round very swiftly, and the antenne appear to be, as it were, convulsed.
«« T must not pass over in silence, however, that no evidence more clear could be desired of the sen- sibility of the antennee to quick sounds, than what occurred to me last summer in my garden. I ob- served, in a morning walk, undertaken for the pur- pose of catching insects on the hazels, that, while
190 ORGANS OF HEARING.
standing in the shade, a nut weevil was sittix quietly at a distance upon a leaf, with the antenn hanging down as if they were asleep; on whi account I directed a pocket-telescope to the spo which was above five feet distant, and therefo convenient for viewing the insect. The point view being thus determined, I made a loud soun and I was delighted with the opportunity of seei the weevil not only roused, but the antennee whic had been hanging down became elongated, ani being full of joints, struck by the undulations sound, they extended themselves, and remained o the alert till alarmed again by a fresh sound. Th insects fell down on the ground, as is the habit those and other weevils. I have never attended t any proof of hearing in spiders, among which t want. of antenne is supplied by acute sight 2 smell ; but all these proofs, weighed together a separately, seem to add strength to the probabilit, of our conjecture, namely, that the antenne ar given to insects for the purpose of perceiving ai recognising sounds, in a similar manner as the sai of a ship serve to convert the wind to the use of th sailor; from which analogy and comparison, I sup! pose that this name has been assigned to thes organs of insects.” *
Professor Treviranus says, “I believed I
* Field Naturalist’s Magazine, i. pages 298-99,
’ ORGANS OF HEARING. 19]
discovered the organ of hearing in the cockroach, (Blata Orientalis,) in the form of an opening covered by a membrane, white, interiorly concave, and situated at the base of the antennze ; under it there is a projection from the brain, (the first nerve- knot or ganglion,) which appears to perform the office of an auditory nerve. The membrane was not round, but semicircular, and immediately bordering on the ring in which the antenne are fixed: Under it I found a white horny substance, similar to that which covers the inner crustaceous envelope of the head. The projections of the brain appeared to give off nerves to the antennee on each side ; but I could not determine whether it spread out over the membrane, which I am inclined to consider the organ of hearing, as I could not other- wise conceive of its functions.
The antenne of butterflies terminate in a clubbed tip, in which there are not muscles for producing motion, as in the body of these organs, but half a liquid substance filling the cavity. In the Alder- man Butterfly, (Ammiralis Atalanta,) I found this substance intermixed with membranous ‘matter, resembling in some degree the substance found in the auditory sacs of the frog, the calcareous portions being less than in the latter. I think it exceed- ingly probable that the clubs of the antenne are the seat of the sense of hearing.” *
* See Field Naturalist’s Magazine, ii. p. 24.
192
METHOD OF COLLECTING BUTTERFLIES SPHINGES, AND MOTHS.
A.most every country on the globe is inhabite by numerous species of lepidopterous insects. The are habited in more splendid attire as we approac the Tropics.
The localities of the lepidoptera are sneienall varied ; some inhabit open fields, others are to h found in the recesses of woods, lanes, and at th bottom of hedges. But by far the best way td make a collection of this order of insects is, to pros cure them either in the larva or pupa state ; and, i in the former condition, they must be fed on their natural vegetable diet till they have attained their full size, and changed into the pupa condition. In> this state they must be carefully kept till they trans form into the perfect or imago state. By this means) they are likely to be more perfect than when take by the net or other means, as the scales or dust” which invests their wings is very easily removedj” which renders the insect imperfect, and has a ten dency to destroy its beauty.
To procure the pups or larvee of lepidopterous
METHOD OF COLLECTING, &c. 193
insects, the collector must beat the branches of trees into his folding gauze net, as also hedges, nettles, Hand other plants, on which these larve feed, or fto which many of the pupe are suspended by the tail.
In searching for moths which fly by night, the London collectors have a lantern constructed with a concave back, and provided with a reflector be- hind. This lantern is fastened round the body of the lepidopterist, about the region of the stomach, by means of a belt. The fly net should be held #open in front by the collector, when all those noe- #turnal flying moths will be entrapped which come Bwithin the influence of the light, to which they are Hnaturally attracted. In hot and close summer evenings, if a candle is placed on the table of a #summer house, or in other rooms, with the windows #open, it will be found that many of the night flying lepidoptera will be thereby attracted.
When taking lepidopterous insects by means of forceps, they should be as widely expanded as pos- sible, and the insect should be approached with great caution. When the entomologist has ap- proached sufficiently near, the instrument should be quickly closed on the animal, including the leaf on which it is settled. When the prey is secured, a gentle pressure with the finger and thumb is ap- plied to the thorax below the wings, which soon
194 METHOD OF COLLECTING
Mr Haworth, in the “ Lepidoptera Britannica,” in mentioning the tenacity of life in the Bomby Cossus, or Goat Moth, states, that “the usual wa of compressing the thorax is not sufficient to | this insect. They will live several days after t most severe pressure has been given there, to tk great uneasiness of any humane entomologist. TI methods of suffocation by tobacco or sulphur, e equally inefficacious, unless continued for a grea number of hours than is proper for the preservatic of the specimens. Another method now in practi is better, and however fraught with cruelty it me appear to the inexperienced collector, is the greate piece of comparative mercy that can, in this cas be administered. When the larger moths must killed, destroy them at once by the insertion of ¢ strong, red-hot needle into their thickest parts, bes ginning at the front of the thorax. If this be pros perly done, instead of lingering through several days) they are dead in a moment. It appears to me; however, that insects being animals of cold ané sluggish juices, are not so susceptible of the sensa. tions we call pain, as those which enjoy a warme} temperature of body, and a swifter circulation & the fluids. To the philosophic mind, it is self evident that they have not such acute organs 0 feeling pain, as other animals of a similar size whose juices are endowed with a quicker motion) and possess a constant, regular, and genial warmth
BUTTERFLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS. 195
such as young mice, or the naked young of birds. If any of these have the misfortune to lose their eads or limbs from force, speedy death is the cer- tain consequence ; but insects under similar cir- feumstances, it is well known, are capable of sur- viving a considerable time.” ¥~ Butterflies are soon killed by passing a pin #through the thorax ; but probably the safest way fis to adopt: Mr Haworth’s plan, of making their in- fstant death certain. The pin passed through the horax of small moths, generally proves almost in- fstantly fatal to them. But though nipping the breast will kill many | small lepidoptera, the larger ones will live long after pit. “ To despatch these effectually,” say Kirby and Spence, “ you will find the following apparatus very convenient :— Fix in a small tin saucepan, Iled with boiling water, a tin tube consisting of two pieces that fit into each other ; cover the mouth of the lower one with a piece of gauze or canvass, and place your insects upon it ; then fix the upper one over it, and eover also the mouth of this with gauze, &c., and the steam from the boiling water will effectually kill your insects without injuring their plumage. There is another more simple mode of doing this ; the apparatus for which may be met ‘with every where. Fix a piece or two of elder or willow, or any soft wood, with the bark on, across the bottom of a mug, and on this stick your im-
196 METHOD OF COLLECTING
paled insects, invert the mug in a deep basin, ir which pour boiling water till it is covered, holdit it down with a knife, &c., that the expansion of t. included air may not overturn it. In two minut or less, all the insects will be found dead, and n at all wetted. Ifthe sticks do not exactly fit, th may be wedged in with a piece of cork. Profess Peck, who used to put minute insects into the he low of a quill, stopped with a piece of wood mi to fit, killed them instantaneously by holding over the flame of a candle.” *
When the insects are killed, the next thing is prepare them for being placed in the cabinet. T entomologist should have at hand a pincushion su plied with entomological pins, called short white The pin should be pierced through the middle the thorax, forcing it sufficiently through, so thé enough may be projecting to pierce the cork of drawer, and hold the insect sufficiently firm. T insect, to look well, should be nearly close to the} paper, but at such a distance as the legs do not} touch the bottom, as they are thereby liable to broken. _
Some of the continental collectors have the inse forced up to nearly the head of the pin, so that the may examine it with a microscope without rem¢ ving the glass lid. This, however, is liable to th
* Kirby and Spence, Introduction to Entomology, iv. p. 52
BUTTERFLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS. 197
bjection, that the pin is very liable to be bent in ushing it into the cork, and the insect does not ook nearly so well as when near the paper.
The best method of arranging lepidopterous, or deed other insects, is to arrange them in columns, ith the generic name at the head of each column, nd the specific name affixed to each species, or in fa line with the insect to its right. The lines ought gto be ruled with a black lead pencil, by which an falteration can easily be made without destroying he whole of the paper. Males and females should placed together if they can be had; and if pos ible two specimens of each, for the purpose of xhibiting both the upper and under side. If the nsect is subject to variety, these should also be rocured, as these are very useful in elucidating ecies. Besides the generic and specific names, he country should also be marked, as well as the particular locality of the specimens preserved.
OF SETTING LEPIDOPTERA.
The wings of lepidopterous insects should be ad- fjusted with great nicety and uniformity, otherwise hey never look well.
The larger insects of this order are set by braces hiefly. A single one should in the first place be
198 METHOD OF COLLECTING
introduced under the wing, near the thorax, a shown in the following figure, 7
and a longer brace extending over the wings, as | AA. These should not bear upon the wings, but ready to rest gently on them, when required. T wings are now elevated to their proper position the setting needle, and other braces are used as necé sity dictates, in the manner represented in the abo figure. The feet and antenne are extended a kept in their places by means of pins ; in whi operation small braces are also occasionally used. The French entomologists set butterflies, moths and sphinges, on a piece of soft wood, in whiél}.
BUTTERFLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS. 199
ey have excavated a groove for the reception of he body, as deep as the insertion of the wings. They are otherwise preserved as above directed. In the larger butterflies, moths, and sphinges, the abdomen should be perforated, its contents ex- racted, and then stuffed with fine cotton, after having been washed internally with the solution . of corrosive sublimate. Indeed, the cotton should also be rubbed with the arsenical soap before being introduced, as these insects are particularly liable to the attack of smaller insects, such as the mite. Several of the moth tribe are extremely liable to change their colour some time after they have been placed in a cabinet. This change is frequently oc- casioned by an oily matter which is common to many of them. This first makes its appearance in small spots on the body, but soon spreads itself over the abdomen, thorax, and wings ; and ends in a total obliteration of all the beautiful markings. A method which has been sometimes successfully adopted, is to sprinkle all the wings with powdered chalk, and holding a heated iron over it ; the chalk absorbs the grease, and may then be blown off by means of a pair of small bellows. Another way of applying the chalk, and perhaps the better of the two, is to throw some powdered chalk on the face of a heated iron, and then put it into a piece of linen cloth, and apply it to the body of the insect ;
200 METHOD OF COLLECTING
the heat of the iron will soften the grease, and the chalk will absorb it. &
Another method is to hold a heated iron over) the insects for a few minutes, and then to wash the spotted or greasy places with ox gall and wate i applied with a camel-hair pencil, and afterwards: wash it with pure water, and dry it by an applica— tion of bloating paper, and when perfectly 4 imbue it with the solution of corrosive sublimate. But grease seldom appears where the contents of the abdomen have been removed.
It is most difficult, if not nearly impracticable, to set many of the smaller moths without destroy- ing the characters of their wings; and the trunks of many of them are so small that they are not even the breadth of a pin. The only method there- fore of preserving these is by gumming them on @ card, and keeping their wings expanded by means of the gum. This must be applied with a camel-f hair pencil. If the collector has two specimens, one should be set with expanded wings, and the other in the state while at rest. These small in-f sects should be placed on dark coloured or blackif cards, if they are themselves pale; and if dark, they should be fixed on white cards. t
BUTTERFLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS. 201
ON PRESERVING EGGS OF LEPIDOPTERA.
The eggs of this order of insects are subject to at. variety, not only in the form, but also in the rkings which ornament their surface. They are ery easily preserved. Swammerdam’s method as to perforate them with a fine needle, and then ress out their contents, afterwards inflate them ith a glass blowpipe, and fill them with a ixture of oil of spike and resin.
OF LARVZ OR CATERPILLARS.
Immersion in spirits of wine is the most imme- iate and effectual way of destroying caterpillars ; and they may be long kept in it without injuring #heir colours.
44 For insects which undergo their metamorphoses jender the ground, a larger breeding cage than recom- ended at page 220, will be found more effectual. It gqught to be from three to four’feet square, and from. o to three feet deep, with a tin covering externally ; rough the sides and bottoms of which small holes - ould be pierced. This box should be filled with h, having a quantity of vegetables placed in it, ch as are fed on by the caterpillars tended to bred, and then sink it into a bed of soil, allow-
202 METHOD OF COLLECTING —
brass or iron wire-cloth to prevent the escape of th caterpillars. When they have fed their accusto time, and attained maturity, they will dig the a | selves a recess. under the surface of the soil, ant there undergo their change into a chrysalis. In thi condition they will continue, till transformed by thy genial influence of the sun. | « Some years,” says Mr Samouelle,* “ produg a greater quantity of caterpillars than others ; ani}; keeping each kind by themselves would require ai immense number of cages, and much time in chanj ging the food, and paying a proper attention to them} It is a common practice to have a breeding cage ( larger dimensions, by which means a great numbéf of caterpillars may be fed in one cage, in which } variety of food may be put, but must be taken awal} and replaced with fresh plants, every second third day, for this tends greatly to the obtainin} of fine specimens of the perfect insect.” |
OF PUP#.
The skin of the pupe generally retain t original shape and colour, as before the insect b from its confinement. No preparation is therefi necessary, and it should only be fixed on a card, above directed for the caterpillar. |
* Samouelle’s Entomologist's Useful Compendium, p. 3.
BUTTERFLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS. 203
THE INSECT CABINET.
*# The drawers of the cabinet should be about fif- een inches in length, eighteen in breadth, and two nches deep. There should be a layer of cork of about he sixth of an inch in thickness glued on the bottoms, and a piece of paper pasted on the top.~. The cork pught to be of the best quality, and free from cracks and knots. Each drawer should have a lid of glass; hich must rest upon a rabbet. This excludes the air, and prevents dust. # 6“ The simplest method of corking drawers is, to purchase the cork of a corkcutter, ready prepared ; Bout it will be much cheaper for the entomologist to (prepare it himself. In this case it should be cut to stripes, of about three inches wide, with a cork- Hutter’s knife, to smooth the surface, ad to divide The stripes should be fixed in a vice, and cut fo the thickness required with a fine saw; but fgrease must not be used in the operation, as it will not only prevent the cork from adhering to the bot- om of the drawer, but will also grease the paper hich should be pasted on its surface. The black Hace of the cork should be rasped down to a smooth purface. After having reduced the slips to about | hree quarters of an inch in thickness, the darkest jor worst side of each slip should be glued down to Ja sheet of brown, or cartridge paper ; this should be Haid on a deal board, about three feet in length,
co
204 METHOD OF COLLECTING, &c.
and of the width required for a drawer or box ; € few fine nails, or brads, must be driven thro each piece of cork, to keep it firm and in its place until the glue be dried: by this means, sheets © cork may be formed the size ofthe drawer. Al! the irregularities are filed or rasped down quite to ¢ level surface, and then polished smooth with pumice stone. The sheet thus formed and furnished, i glued into the drawers. To prevent its warping: some weights must be equally distributed over the cork, that it may adhere firmly to the bottom ‘0; the drawer. When quite dry, the weights are re: moved, and the cork covered with fine white paper: but not. very thick. The ‘paper is allowed to be quite damp with the paste before it is placed or the cork ; and, when 86 it will become perfect tight.” *
* Brown's Taxidermist’s Manual, p. 89, ©
| REMARKS ON THE PRESERVATION OF LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS:
Of all the varied tribes of insects; the lepidoptera are probably the most perishable. They are parti- ‘ularly subject to mouldiness, and are very liable o the attacks of mites, and other minute insects, which eat into and consume their bodies. Cabinets — Fhould therefore be kept in very dry situations ; d care should be taken that the insect is perfectly when first placed in the cabinet. But when Whey do get mouldy, it may be washed off with a amel’s hair pencil, dipped in camphorated spirits pf wine. After which the insect must be placed in dry or warm situation till thoroughly dried, be- ore being returned into the cabinet.
Each drawer should always have a piece of cam- hor kept in it, for the purpose of preventing the fnites from entering, although this does not always prove successful. The presence of mites is easily nown. by small parcels of dust, which will usually found deposited where they are. They must be Immediately picked out, and their lodgement care- y cleaned with a camel hair pencil, which has © een previously dipped in a solution of corrosive fublimate, and. then dried.
206 REMARKS ON THE PRESERVATION
On this subject Mr Waterton makes the follo ing remarks :—“ I only know of two method says he, “to guard ‘preserved insects from the é predations of living ones. The first is, by poisc ing the atmosphere—the second is, by poisoni the prepared specimens themselves, so effectual! that they are no longer food for the depredat But there are some objections to both these mode a poisoned atmosphere will evaporate in time if attended to, or if neglected to be renewed ; ¢ there is great difficulty in poisoning some specime on account of their delicacy and minuteness. ” you keep spirits of turpentine in the boxes whi contain your: preserved specimens, Iam of opi that those specimens will be safe as long as the ode of the turpentine remains in the box, for it is sa to be the most pernicious of all scents to inseé But it requires attention to keep up an atmosph of spirit of turpentine ; if it be allowed to evapore entirely, then there is a clear and undisputed pe open to the inroads of the enemy ; he will’ advantage of your absence or neglect, and w you return to view your treasure you will find in ruins. Spirits of turpentine poured into a cor mon glass inkstand, in which there is a piece sponge, and placed in a corner of your box, w create a poisoned atmosphere, and kill every i there. The poisoning of your specimens by meai of corrosive sublimate in alcohol, is a most effecty
OF LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. ~ 207
method. As soon as the operation is properly per- formed, the depredating insect perceives that the prepared specimen is no longer food for it, and will for ever cease to attack it; but then every part must have received the poison, otherwise those parts where the poison has not reached will still be exposed to the enemy, and he will pass unhurt over the poisoned parts till he arrives at that part of your specimen which is still wholesome food for him. Now, the difficulty lies in applying. the solution to very minute specimens without injuring their appearance; and all that can be said is, to recommend unwearied exertion, which is sure to be attended with great skill, and great skill will insure surprising success. I myself have attended to the preservation of insects with the assiduity “which Horace recommends to poets :—‘* Nocturna versate manu, versate diurna.’ The result has been astonishing success, and a perfect conviction that there is no absolute and lasting safety for pre- pared specimens in zoology from the depredations of insects, except by poisoning every part of them with a solution of corrosive sublimate in alcohol.
«‘ The tight boxes, and aromatic atmospheres, will certainly do a great deal, but they are liable to fail, for this obvious reason, viz. that they do not render for ever absolutely baneful and abhorrent to the depredator, that which in itself is nutritious and grateful to him. In an evil hour, through
208 REMARKS ON THE PRESERVATION
neglect in keeping up a poisoned atmosphere, the} specimens collected by industry, and prepared | art, and which ought to live, as it were;. for the < ] miration of future ages, may fall a prey to an ir - truding and almost invisible enemy ; so that unless the solution of corrosive sublimate in alcohol is af plied, you are never perfectly safe from surpris _I have tried a decoction of aloes, wormwood, an | walnut leayes, thinking they would be of service,} on account of their bitterness: the trial completely failed. Wherefore I venture to recommend not t put much trust in simples.
‘Contra vim mortis, non est medicamen in hortis.”
* Against the deadly moth, can I, From herbs, no remedy supply.’ ”
METHOD OF TRANSPORTING INSECTS.
The plan described by Levaillant in his Travel in Africa, for the preservation of his.entomological collections, is the following :—Boxes or-chests care- fully made of light wood, of a convenient portable size, are provided with partitions and moveable shelves, each consisting of a simple, board ;, these — are fitted, at the distance of two inches one from ~ another, in grooves. in the sides of the box, in which they are made to slide with accuracy and facility, and are therefore removable at pleasure:
OF LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS. 209
These boards or shelves have necessarily the exact dimensions of the ends of the chest, and are placed in a vertical position ; a small vacancy is preserved between their lower extremity and the floor, and 4 any Object detached by accident falls to the bottom without causing farther injury.. Each board or 4 shelf, lined with cork or soft wood, supplies, in some measure, the place of a cabinet drawer. When taken out: of the box and placed on a table, it rests securely and affords a plain surface, upon which insects may be fixed, or examined with per- ] fect ease and security. It is returned into the box in an instant, which, if carefully made, when closed, secures most effectually the contents. One large box may conveniently contain fourteen boards, | answering the purpose of as many drawers; and, being eighteen inches square, they are of a manage- able size. Dr Horsfield found these boxes most admirably adapted to his entomological pursuits while in Java, and preferred those made of light wood. He says, that when he commenced packing for. transportation, “ boxes according to Levail- lant’s plan, were therefore provided of more sub- stantial material than those employed in travelling, in proportion to the increase of the collection. The wood of the Bombax pentandrum was employed for lining the boards and securing the pins ; and I ascribed to an acquaintance with the peculiar pro- perty of this wood, which renders it an effectual
210 REMARKS ON THE PRESERVATION, Xc.
substitute for cork, the preservation of the colle tion during its transportation. After having care. fully packed the subjects, every necessary precau tion that suggested itself was used in securing th boxes against accidents during the voyage. The were individually painted and covered with oi cloth. Each box was then placed in an outer cas made of the same substantial materials, and secur in the same manner,” by which means the whol of his extensive and valuable collection of lepido terous insects were safely brought to England. Caterpillars may also be preserved by firs squeezing out theirentrails, and insert into the pune. ture a glass tube which has been drawn to a ve fine point. This pipe must be blown into whil the skin of the caterpillar is held over a charco fire, and kept constantly turned round, until it. comes hardened.’ It is then rubbed over with o of spike, dried, and then placed into the cabine They should be gummed to a piece of card, so th they may not be touched in lifting them, as th are very liable to be squeezed, and thus broken.
211
INSTRUMENTS USED IN COLLECTING, SETTING, AND PRESERVING BUTTER- FLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS.
THE ENTOMOLOGICAL OR FLY NET.
Tuts net, which is figured above, is similar ‘in construction to the bat fowling-net, and is either made of close green gauze or open muslin. It is sometimes white, which is not so useful as green, although the former is best adapted for minute moths, being more easily seen on it. The rods ought to be made of beech or hickory ; holly and hazel will also answer the purpose. They should be from five to six feet in length, made quite round and smooth, and gradually tapering to a point. The cross-piece should be made of cane, and fitted into a ferrule of an angulated form. The rod should be divided into three or four pieces, so that it may be carried conveniently in the pocket; a ferrule should be riveted on each joint at the upper part ;
_ thus prevent them from falling to pieces.
212 INSTRUMENTS USED IN COLLECTING, &c.
and each joint should be provided with a notch or | check, so as to prevent the upper part from warping. — Great care ought to be taken in fitting the joints to
the brass tubes, so that they may fit exactly, an d |
THE FOLDING NET.
This net must be bound round with a broad | welting, doubled, for receiving the side rods. At the top there must be a piece of shamois leather, © for the purpose of acting as a hinge, which must be | sewed round the welting, divided and attached in | the middle, so as to prevent the cross-piece from. . slipping ; at the lower side there should be about ~ four inches of gauze turned up, so as to form a bag ;~ there. ought to be strings attached, so as to pass” through a staple for drawing the net tight on each side.
When this instrument is used, the handles or rods are to be taken one in each hand, and with this lepidopterous insects may be taken during thew flight ; and this is.performed by opening and shut- — ting the net, and securing, the insects between: the folds.. It may also be used for) collecting. cater-| pillars: When used for this purpose, the lepi — dopterist must expand it under the trees, bushes, or | plants, which they inhabit, and. beat the branches with a stick, and the caterpillars will naturally, fall | on the net.
BUTTERFLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS. 213
THE HOOP NET.
This hoop net consists of a strong brass wire hoop, from nine inches to a foot in diameter, with a socket for receiving the end of a walking stick or rod, which the lepidopterist should always carry along with him. Some are made with a screw, for greater security. To this ring is attached a bag of net, gauze, or muslin, about a foot.in depth. «* The French collectors,” say Messrs Kirby and Spens, * “use a net of this kind, in which the hoop is formed of two semicircular pieces of iron or brass wire, hooked together at one end, and at the other made to lap over the corresponding piece, and pierced to receive the screw at the end of your stick. When not employed they double the hoop. and conceal it under the rest ; they fix to it amus- lin bag of two feet long. This net is made to serve various purposes. With it they catch Lepidoptera and other flying insects ; and an adroit collector, by givingit a certain twist, completely closes the mouth,
* Introduction to Entomology, iv. p. 516.”
214 INSTRUMENTS USED IN COLLECTING, &c.
so as to prevent the escape of his captives. . Fixed to a very long pole, (Mr Haworth says it should be: twenty or thirty feet long,) it is the best net for the: Purple Emperor Butterfly,” described at page 156, volume first of this work.*
MACLEAN’S ELASTIC NET.
This net is constructed of two stout pieces o cane, split and connected by a joint at each end, also by a rod which lies between them, “ in) which a pully is fixed ; through this a cord fas ened to the canes passes ; a long cane with a fer rule receives the lower end of the rod, and forms a) handle ; and to the canes is fastened a net of green: gauze.” The handle is taken in the right hand) and the string in the left ; when the latter is pulled, the canes bend till they form a hoop, and the net. appended to them is open ; when insects are within it the cord is relaxed, and the canes become straight. Close the mouth of the net, and secure the insects . These are kept close by the left hand, and the pre is disabled with the right.
* Page 152, vol. i., First Edition.
BUTTERFLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS. 215
ENTOMOLOGICAL FORCEPS.
The forceps is a very useful instrument for col- lecting day-flying lepidopterous insects.
Some of these are formed with octagonal leaves, and others circular or oval; they ought to be five or six inches in diameter, and covered with muslin or green gauze, or very fine catgut, the meshes of which ought to allow the head of a lace pin to pass through it. The joint of the handle should be placed nearer the rings for the finger and thumb, than to the leaves of the instrument, or it will not open well. The handles may be made of iron, but the hoop should always be of brass, to prevent its rusting, or, if made of iron, it ought to be painted. The objection to the leaves of forceps being round is, that when the insect. wished to be seized is perched upon a wall, or other vertical situations, they cannot be applied with such certainty of se- curing the object.
216 INSTRUMENTS USED IN COLLECTING, &c.
The entomological forceps made use of in Ge many are not only longer in the handles, but al larger in the leaves. The leaves are generally from ten to twelve inches in diameter.
POCKET COLLECTING BOX.
The lepidopterist ought to provide himself wit one or two light chip boxes, or thin deal one These should be lined with cork on the bottom When an insect is taken, and killed, a pin should passed through its thorax, and with this it ought t be attached to the bottom of the box. These boxe should have camphor placed in them, within small gauze bag, which has the effect of renderin the animal soon stupid, and ultimately of killing i
Messrs Kirby and Spence recommend that th boxes should be numbered ina small memorandum book, carried for the purpose, in which should — inserted any remarks, as to food, station, and habit of any insect which may be taken, inserting agains them the number of the box or phial that con tains it.
The same gentlemen say they have found, whe at a loss, a piece of elder, with the pith taken ou to a sufficient depth at both ends, and each mout stopped with a wooden plug, a useful insect bo This we should think particularly useful in the eas
BUTTERFLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS. Q17
of taking small moths, which are difficult to be se- cured in the open air, from their smallness, and also the danger of destroying the farina of their wings.
COLLECTING PHIAL.
For the smaller species of butterflies and moths, a small wide-mouthed phial will be found extremely useful to the collector. In the cork should be in- serted a flattened tin tube, into which a piece of wood should be neatly fitted. By putting the in- sects through this tube, there is no likelihood of those which are already within the phial escaping.
POCKET LARV# BOX.
This is simply a small chip-box, with an aper- ture at top and bottom, and covered with fine open muslin, for the admission of air. Care ought to be taken to insert into the box a portion of the leaves
VOL. III. P
218 INSTRUMENTS USED IN COLLECTING, &e.
on which the caterpillar feeds, as laryee feed almos unremittingly, consuming many times their own weight of leaves every day.
BRASS PLIARS.
small insects, as by using them the entomologist is less likely to remove the ree! powder from the” wings. 4
A DIGGER.
This instrument is made of steel or iron, some- what about six. inches in length, and fixed into a wooden handle. It is used for collecting the pupee of lepidopterous insects, which lie concealed at the roots of trees and bottoms of hedges. It is also used for stripping off the bark from trees, where the larva of many rare insects are to be found ; it ought to be arrow-pointed.
BUTTERFLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS. 219
SETTING NEEDLE.
This instrument is fixed to the stalk of a common. hair pencil, and is used for extending the parts of insects, such as their limbs, antenne, wings, &c. On the opposite end of the stick there ought to he a hair pencil, for the purpose of removing any dust 'which may fall upon them.
=
This is another kind of Setting Needle, the use of which will be obvious.
PINS.
The pins used for insects are the small lace kind, and made very fine for the express purpose; they ought to be well tinned, to prevent the juices of the insect from acting on them, and thus producing verdigris, which destroys the insects.
SETTING BOARDS.
These consist simply of convenient sized thin deal boards, and covered with a thin layer of cork ; which ought to be perfectly level on the surface, and covered with white paper.
220 INSTRUMENTS USED IN COLLECTING, &c.
“BRACES.
These are small slips of card, which are mad use of for confining the wings of butterflies, sphinges and moths, while inthe act of drying.
STORE BOXES.
These should not exceed a foot square in ‘size ; both top and bottom being about two inches and half in depth ; and made on the same plan as back- gammon boards. The inside should be lined with cork, covered with paper.
ii “at, ili
Py |
THE BREEDING CAGE.
This isused for rearing the caterpillars or lary of lepidopterous insects asothey are hatched. If
BUTTERFLIES, SPHINGES, AND MOTHS. 22]
ought to be made of hard wood, having its sides and front covered with gauze or fine muslin. Inthe
#inside is affixed a box or tube for the reception of a small phial for inserting plants, on which’ the caterpillars are accustomed to feed, which it is in- tended to rear. Breeding cages may be made of any dimensions ; but the most convenient size is about a foot in height, eight inches in breadth, and from four to five in depth. One species of cater- pillar only ought to be introduced at a time, as many of these devour each other.
A quantity of earth, mixed with a little sand, of about two inches in depth, should be placed at the bottom of each box. The mould should be of a fine vegetable kind, if possible, which does not so easily dry and consolidate as clayey soil. The cages should be placed in some cool place, away from the influence of the sun, as many species pass to the pupa condition, remain in that state, and transform into the perfect insect under the surface of the earth. Consequently, if the earth is dry and hard, they will be unable to burst from their confinement.
«* Those who endeavour to rear the Death’s Head Hawk Moth, often fail after the insect has passed into a chrysalis state. I have been informed,” says Mr L. W. Clarke, “ by a person who has several times bred them, that his method is to moisten the chrysalis every morning with warm water, and then
"222 INSTRUMENTS USED IN COLLECTING, &c.
place it in the breeding cage, near the fire, by wh means the fluids of the body are preserved, and - ease is not too strong for the perfect insect to pe ‘trate. “He also says, that if they be placed in _ bark stove with plants, and covered with the e : they will not perish, as is the case with those gene rally exposed to the temperature of our. climate.”
* Field Naturalist’s Magazine, vol. i. p. 48.
_ END OF VOLUME THIRD.
. EDINBURGH: PRINTED BY M, AITKEN, 1, 87. JAMES’ S SQUARE.
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