Volume I Part 13 (1/2)
The celebrated Latreille, the father of modern Entomology, has well observed, that the immense number of insects crowded together in the genus _Hesperia_ contain many natural genera, but which the paucity of species generally found in cabinets prevents us from discriminating. Having for a long time paid attention to this family, and possessing near 300 species in my own cabinet, I have had the opportunity of attempting their elucidation; and the above generic character is applied to those insects only which I propose considering genuine species of the genus _Hesperia_, and which will comprise near 170 species.
I have named this new, undescribed and very rare insect, in honour of my esteemed friend A. H. Haworth, Esq. F.L.S., &c., well known by the benefits his writings have conferred on the sister sciences of entomology and botany. The only two insects I ever saw of this species I captured in the southern part of Brazil.
Pl. 29
[Ill.u.s.tration]
MITRA cancellata.
_Basket Mitre_--upper figure.
GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 23.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
_M. (Div. 2.) testa fusiformi, cancellata; striis longitudinalibus incra.s.satis, spira aperturaque aequalibus; columella 5-plicata; spira sublaevi._
Sh.e.l.l fusiform, cancellated, the longitudinal striae thickened; spire and aperture of equal length; pillar five-plaited; spire nearly smooth.
Another undescribed species of this elegant family, and of great rarity, in the private collection of Mr. G. Humfreys. The whole of the body whorl and commencement of the spire is cancellated. The longitudinal striae are crowded, thickened, and slightly elevated, giving a crenated appearance to the suture: the transverse striae slender, and filling up the interstices.
The spire is nearly smooth and a little bent: the ground colour very light orange, with three darker interrupted bands on the body: whorl separated by two slender lines of the same colour; the spiral whorls have only two bands and a line between; the upper margins slightly compressed on the suture; the outer lip within smooth.
MITRA rigida.
_Ribbed Mitre__--middle figures._
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
_M. testa costis longitudinalibus, elevatis, linearibus, integris, interst.i.tiis laevibus ad basin granulatis; spira producta; columella 4-plicata; apertura brevi._
Sh.e.l.l with elevated, longitudinal, obtuse, entire ribs, the interstices smooth, the base granulated; spire lengthened; pillar four-plaited; aperture short.
Equally rare, and from the same collection as the preceding. In habit it approaches nearest to _M. exasperata_ of Chemnitz, but has not the ribs angulated or their interstices striated, and is much more narrowed at the base than in that sh.e.l.l, which I have seen: the outer lip is also smooth; the inside strongly striated. This sh.e.l.l was formerly in the collection of Mr. Keate, the elegant author of the ”Sketches from Nature.”
Pl. 30
[Ill.u.s.tration]