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قراءة كتاب Zoological Illustrations, Second Series, Volume 3 or, Original Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, or Interesting Animals

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Zoological Illustrations, Second Series, Volume 3
or, Original Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, or Interesting Animals

Zoological Illustrations, Second Series, Volume 3 or, Original Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, or Interesting Animals

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7, White's Voyage, pl. 4. p. 140.

Le Perruche à tête bleue, male. Le Vaill. Perr. 1. pl. 24. fig. pulcherima.

Perruche des Moluques. Buffon, Pl. Enl. No. 743?

Trichoglossus hæmatodus. Lin. Tr. 15. p. 289. omitting Syn.

Large flocks of these resplendent Lorys enliven the woods of New Holland, clinging to the Eucalypti trees, and sucking the honey from the blossoms by their brush-shaped tongue. Mr. Caley, whose notes we now follow, says it a bird remarkable for docility and attachment to some people, although a perfect scold to others. When young they are caught by the natives, but from the loss of their favourite food seldom survive in confinement. An individual, kept by Mr. Caley, on being shewn the coloured drawing of a native plant, tried to suck the flowers, and it even made the same attempt with a piece of cotton furniture. Its scientific history we have already given elsewhere.

We have received more than usual pleasure at seeing our name affixed to this charming bird, and in clearing up its history. (Ill. of Orn. vol. 3. p. iii.) As a child we well remember our unwearied delight at seeing its figure in White's Voyage. As a collector we have preserved a series of nearly twenty specimens, and as a naturalist our name is no longer excluded from the Ornithological Nomenclature of New Holland. It is indeed somewhat curious, that while we were giving information to one of the writers in the Lin. Trans. upon the subjects of his paper, he should have studiously witheld from us the only public acknowledgement, for such assistance, it was in his power to make.


Pl. 93.

PROTESILAUS Leilus.

Plate 93.

PROTESILAUS Leilus,

Protesilaus Butterfly.

Genus Amphrisius, Sw. Sub-genus Protesilaus, Sw.

Sub-generic Characters.

Wings trigonal, acute, yellow with black transverse bands; the inferior lengthened, narrowed, with two long acute tails; antennæ short, the club thick, slightly compressed, but solid, and convex all round; front very hairy; Larva covered with sharp spines. Pupa braced, but suspended downwards.

Type, Pap. Protesilaus. Auct.


Specific Character.

Wings straw-colour; the superior with four, short, black, costal bands towards the base, and two towards the exterior margin; the latter uniting at the posterior angle.

Pap. Protesilaus. Lin. Fab. Ent. Sys. 3. pl. p. 23. Ency. Meth. p. 50. Merian Sur. pl. 43. Cramer, pl. 202. f. a. b.

From the resemblance which this insect bears to the rare British species, named by collectors the scarce Swallow-tail, (Papilio Podalirius,) it is generally called the Brazilian Swallow-tail. We advert to this circumstance, trivial as it may sound to scientific ears, first because it is one of the many proofs in which the nomenclature of the vulgar conveys greater information than that of the professor: and secondly, because these very names, in numberless instances, imply a perception of natural analogies, which, without the labour of philosophic research, suggest themselves to unscientific observers. In the present instance, these facts may be verified in the most unquestionable manner. According to our views, Protesilaus not only represents one of the primary groups of the Lepidoptera, but also typifies the Fissirostral birds, of which the swallows are the most pre-eminent.

Madam Merian's valuable work on the Insects of Surinam, has furnished us with a figure of the larva; which, unlike that of the European Swallow-tails, is covered with spines: the chrysalis also departs from the usual type of the family, in having the head directed downwards. These facts we have verified by an inspection of the original drawings, of M. Merian, now deposited in the British Museum. These are all important variations in structure, which can only be explained by the natural system.


Pl. 94.

CRESSIDA Heliconides

Plate 94.

CRESSIDA Heliconides

Cressida Butterfly.

Sub-Fam. Papilionæ. Genus Papilio. Sub-Genus Cressida. Nobis.

Sub-Generic Character.

Wings diaphanous; posterior perpendicularly elongated, obtusely dentated or scolloped. Antenna stout, the club very thick.

Types, Cressida Heliconides and Harmonides. Sw.


Specific Character.

Anterior wings diaphanous, with the base, and two opaque, costal transverse spots, black; posterior black, with a central white space, and a marginal row of crimson spots, brightest beneath.

Papilio Cressida, Fab. Ent. Sys. 3. 1. p. 20. Don. Ill. of Ent. 3. pl. 12. f. 2. Ency. Meth. p. 76. No. 145.

For a long time, the only museum in Europe which could boast of this butterfly, was that of Sir Joseph Banks; who found it in Van Deimans Land, during his celebrated scientific voyage with Captain Cook. Fabricius, the most eminent entomologist of that day, described the species from this specimen: which, with the whole of the Banksian Cabinet, was presented by its learned and munificent possessor to the Linnæan Society of London, where it still exists. The only published figure is that of Donovans, which is much too small, and is otherwise faulty. The species is still very rare in collections; our own, a fine pair, were received from Van Diemans Land.

Although unacquainted with the larva, and pupa state of this species, nature has stamped the perfect insect with the image of that group she intends it to represent. Its long, narrow, anterior wings, almost transparent, immediately reminds even the unpractised entomologist of the Heliconian butterflys; while the analysis of the genus

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