Zoological Illustrations Volume Iii Part 11

GENERIC CHARACTER.

_Rostrum breve, conic.u.m, compressum, basi aliquatenus hians, mandibula superiore inflexa, inferiore superiorem magnitudine superantem. Nares basales, rotundi, basi plumulis obtecta. Pedes sedentes, digitis tribus anticis basi divisis, halluce plerumque brevi, curvo, aliquando recto._

Ob. _Remigum penna prima brevi, secunda tertiaque longissimis._

Bill short, strong, conic, compressed; the base slightly gaping; upper mandible inflexed; under mandible largest. Nostrils basal, round, covered at the base by small feathers. Feet sitting, the three anterior toes divided at the base; the hind claw in general short and curved, in some species straight.

_Ob._ The first quill of the wings shorter than the second and third, which are the longest.

Generic Types (Temminck) i. _Emb. citrinella. miliaria_ Lin. ii. _Em.

nivalis. Fring. Lapponica._

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_E. olivacea, infra flavescens; capite cristato; jugulo nigro; striga oculari, scapulis rectricibusque lateralibus flavis._

Olive, beneath yellowish, head crested; throat black; eye stripe, shoulders, and lateral tail feathers, yellow.

The elegant crest of narrow-pointed feathers on the head of this new bird, at once distinguishes it from all others of the same family. Mr. Brookes favoured me with the individual here described; it was purchased alive at one of the Brazilian ports; but I strongly suspect it had been first brought from Africa, by some one of the slave s.h.i.+ps. The figure is of the natural size; down the shaft of each feather on the back is a black line; the tail is rather long, and even; the two middle feathers black; the rest pure yellow, with black shafts, and brown exterior terminal margins; the upper mandible of the bill is sinuated; the base not gaping, but with a few inc.u.mbent bristles.

I have taken the authority of Professor Temminck for the accuracy of the generic types of this genus under its present modification.

Pl. 149

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CASTNIA Fabricii,

_Red underwing Day-moth._

GENERIC CHARACTER.

_Antennae clavatae, clavo elongato, cylindraceo, fusiformi, ad apicem unco brevi, acuto armato. Palpi breves, graciles, haud prominentes, articulo ultimo nudo, oblique verticales. Vertex ocellatus? ocello oculum juxta utrumque posito._

Obs. _Caput parvum; alarum basis squamis conspicuis, elongatis imbricata._

Antennae clubbed; club elongated, rounded, fusiform, ending in a short acute hook. Palpi short, slender, not projecting beyond the front, the last joint naked, obliquely vertical. Crown with a small ocellus?

adjoining each eye.

_Ob._ Head small: base of the wings covered with conspicuous, lengthened, imbricate scales.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_C. alis anticis, supra ferrugineis; posticis rufis, fasciis 3 undatis, nigris, masculis ovatis interstinctis, ornatis._

Anterior wings above ferruginous; posterior rufous, with three waved bands of black, between which are imperfect oval spots.

The insects of this genus form one of the most singular groups among the Lepidoptera; they are few in number, and confined to the tropical regions of America; flying only during the meridian heat, and then with incredible rapidity: they frequent the narrow inlets of thick forests, occasionally resting, far above the ground, on the trunks of trees. The species here figured is very rare, and came from the Diamond district of Brazil: it is named after the ill.u.s.trious entomologist who first founded the genus. The bases of the wings beneath are furnished, in the male, with a spiral socket and h.o.r.n.y spring, similar to those of the Phalaenidae.

Pl. 150

[Ill.u.s.tration]

SPHINX fasciata.

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 81.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_S. alis anticis subdentatis, supra fuscis, margine postico striga pallida ornato; posticis fulvis, margine nigro; abdomine annuloso, annulis nigris, interruptis, interst.i.tiis albis._

Anterior wings subdentated, above brown, posterior margin with a pale stripe; posterior wings fulvous, margin black; body with black interrupted rings, the interstices white.

This approaches so near to the Sphinx Alope of Drury, that it is not without hesitation I have ventured to separate them; it will, however, be seen, that neither in his figure or description is any notice taken of the pale testaceous band on the superior wings; the body likewise is described as "encircled with rings of brown and _dark ash_ colour;" in this, the rings are black, on nearly a white ground: the under sides of the superior wings, in Drury's insect, "are spotted along their external edges with long yellowish spots;" in this, they are uniform pale brown. These differences (greatly strengthened by his figure) induce me to consider them as distinct; particularly as both insects appear to have come from Jamaica: the upper side of the antennae are white, the lower brown. Cramer's figure of S. Alope affords little or no clue to ill.u.s.trate the question.

SPHINX Leachii.

_S. alis anticis subdentatis, griseo-fuscis, maculis mediis 3 nigris; posticis fulvis, margine nigro; abdomine griseo, annulis nigris, interruptis._

Anterior wings subdentated, greyish brown, with three medial black spots; posterior fulvous, margin black; abdomen grey, with interrupted black rings.