Foreign butterflies / by James Duncan.

  • James Duncan
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Foreign butterflies / by James Duncan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    277/284 (page 205)
    PLATE XXX. Urania Rhipheus, Var. Cramer, Godart..—Rhipheus Dasyce- phalus, Seainson, Zool. Illus. Pl. Pol. We have copied the accompanying figures from Drury’s work on exotic insects, in order that they may be compared with those represented on Plate “XXVIII. It will at once be perceived that they present numerous points of agreement, as well as very obvious differences, and when every considera- tion is taken into account, it is not easy to say whether they ought to be regarded as distinct spe- cies, or merely varieties of the same. Drury states that his insect was brought from China, and when the drawing was taken, it was in the possession of Captain May of Hammersmith ; in all probability, however, it is now lost. The antennz are described as black and knobbed at their extremities, and the hinder wings are without tails. On the supposition that Drury’s figures accurately represent the insect as it appeared when alive, the only connexion which it has with Urania arises from the similar distribution of colours and neura- tion of the wings; in other respects it would be