Zoological Illustrations Volume Ii Part 8

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SPHINX Labruscae,

_Wild Vine Hawk-moth._

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 81.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_S. alis integris; anticis virescentibus, fascia triangulari centrali maculoque fusco ornatis; posticis medio caeruleo-nigris, margine fulvo; abdominis lateribus punctis quinque niveis._

S. Wings entire; anterior greenish, with a central triangular band and black spot; posterior bluish black in the middle, the margin fulvous; sides of the body with five snowy spots.

S. Labruscae. _Gmelin_, p. 2380. 14. _Fab. Ent. Sys._ 3. p. 377.

_Cramer_, _pl._ 184. _a._

Linnaeus has well observed, that the great distinctions of his three genera of Lepidoptera, were, that b.u.t.terflies are seen on the wing only during the day; Hawk-moths, or Sphinxes, at the rising and setting of the sun; and Moths during the night. The insects of Europe, indeed, offer but few exceptions to these characters; but the habits of certain exotic tribes, in each of these families, partake both of one and the other in a remarkable manner. Thus, among the b.u.t.terflies, there is a genus in South America (hitherto unnoticed), which fly only during the dusk of evening: a number of the Linnaean Hawk-moths prefer the meridian heat of the sun; and there are not wanting several moths which are only seen during the same period of the day.

The insect, however, before us, is of that tribe to which the remark of Linnaeus is strictly applicable; and, although included in the _Systema Naturae_, has remained without any correct representation, for it would be difficult to delineate a worse figure of it than that given by Cramer.

Besides the row of five snowy white spots on each side of the body, there are four pair of others, more dusky, down the middle, and five small black dots near the outer margin of the fore wings; the colour of all beneath is a buff yellow, with two faint dusky oblique bars, and the middle of the fore wings sea green.

I have received this species from Jamaica; in its larva state it appears to feed on the wild vine.

Pl. 88

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MITRA caffra,

_Brown white-banded Mitre._

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 23.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_M. (div. 1.) fusiformis, rufo-fuscata, albo fasciata, laevis, spira plicato-striata, basi rugosa, columella quadriplicata._--Lamarck.

Sh.e.l.l fusiform, reddish brown, with whitish bands; smooth; spire plaited and striated; base rugose; pillar 4 plaited.

Voluta caffra. _Gmelin._ 3451. _Martini_ 4. _tab._ 148. _f._ 1370.?

_Dill._ _p._ 545.

Mitra caffra. _Lamarck. Ann. du Mus._ vol. vii. p. 208. _no._ 30.

It is not improbable that _Mitra bifasciata_, (_Zool. Ill._ _pl._ 35.) may eventually be considered only a variety of the sh.e.l.l here figured, which accords much closer with the characters given of the Linnaean _M. caffra_, than any other; the two sh.e.l.ls, however, at the first glance, have a widely different appearance; yet not more so, than the smooth and plaited varieties of _Strombus vittatus Lin._ I have therefore retained the character given by Lamarck, as the best method to be followed in doubtful cases. In this sh.e.l.l, the plaits commence halfway round the body whirl; they are obtuse, crowded, and not angulated near the suture; the striae between are fine and decidedly marked; the base half of the sh.e.l.l strongly grooved; the suture rather compressed; the channel short and not recurved, and the aperture striated.

MITRA cra.s.sa

_Thick Mitre--upper and lower figures._

_M. (div. 3.) testa laevi, media cra.s.sa, fusca, fascia angusta sub-alba ornata; spira striata, striis intus punctatis; labio exteriore dentato; columella 5 plicata._

Sh.e.l.l smooth, thick in the middle, brown, with a narrow whitish band; spire striated, the striae with internal punctures: outer lip crenated; pillar 5 plaited.

A species evidently unknown to Lamarck; the upper margin of each whorl is thick and projecting; the striae on the body whorl are nearly obsolete, but on the spire become deep, remote, and having internally minute hollow dots; the inner margin of the exterior lip is strongly crenated, the aperture smooth, and the pillar with five strong teeth. I believe it was brought from the South Seas.

Pl. 89

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PSITTACUS murinus,

_Grey-breasted Parakeet._

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 1.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_P. viridis, genis, auribus, gulaque cinereis; vertice, remigibus rectriciumque marginibus sub-caeruleis._

Green; sides of the head, ears, and throat, grey; crown, quills, and end of the tail, bluish.