Volume Ii Part 10 (2/2)

_c._ Tailed; lower wings with obtuse patulous tails.

* Wings varied with yellow bands.

_P. Torquatus. Thoas._ C. _Ilioneus_ (Donovan) _&c._

** Wings generally dark, without bands.

_P. Troilus. Paris. Severus. Pammon, &c._

d. Dentated; lower wings dentated, without tails.

_P. aegeus et Erechtheus._ Don. _Amphitryon. Drusius. Demolius_ C.

_e._ Orbicular; lower wings short, orbicular.

_P. dissimilis. Similis_ C. _a.s.similis_ (Drury). _Polydamas?_ Lin.

II. _Trojans._

Breast with sanguineous spots.

_a._ Tailless; lower wings elongated and broad at the base.

_P. Memnon. Polymnestor. Agenor. Hector._ C.

_b._ Tailed; lower wings with obtuse patulous tails.

_P. Polydorus. Romulus. c.o.o.n, &c._

_c._ Dentated; lower wings dentated.

_P. Evander._ (G.o.dart.) _Amosus?_ C.

d. Orbicular; lower wings short, orbicular.

_P. Priamus. Panthous. Amphrisius, Harmonia et Cressida_ (Donovan.)

From the earliest ages, the b.u.t.terfly appears to have attracted the admiration of mankind; and we find it celebrated by their poets as figurative of gaiety and pleasure, and by their sages as an emblem of the human soul. It has been interwoven in one of their most beautiful allegories, and has been consecrated in our own days by several poets, though by none with such exquisite taste and moral feeling, as by the venerable Historian of the Medici.

So few of those insects, generally called b.u.t.terflies, were known to Linnaeus, that he included them all in one genus, dividing them, for the most part, into natural groups. Fabricius continued this arrangement, with little variation, and has left us the description of near 1,150 species!

Yet before his death, this laborious naturalist saw the absolute necessity of dividing this immense genus into many others, and left among his MSS. a sketch of his proposed arrangement, published afterwards by Illiger, and partially adopted (we venture to think also very imperfectly) by M.

Latreille.

The insects which are therefore now left under the old genus _Papilio_, are princ.i.p.ally found out of Europe, and are remarkable for their richness of colouring and immense size. M. M. Latreille and G.o.dart have described, with great precision, 146 species: it is, however, to be regretted, that they have adopted no sections or divisions to a.s.sist the student in his search after any particular species, among this extensive number. The great disadvantage of this is very obvious, and it has induced me to attempt something like a natural distribution of those insects, which, with every care to avoid an unnatural separation of kindred groups, I am fully aware, in some cases, is very artificial, and it is only offered until a greater knowledge of the larvae, &c. will enable us to fix on more substantial characters than those I have adopted. This, however, will be a work of time; and until then, I think some guide to the ready knowledge of the species, however objectionable, is better than none.

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