The Papilio Iris is esteemed among the beautiful, and placed with the rare of the English Lepidoptera. The cursory reader may not perceive that superiority, particularly as many of the minute Insects infinitely excel in real beauty and richness of colouring; but the scien­tific [Page 4] will be ever ready to give it the first place as a British Papilio, and to those a figure of the Caterpillar and Chrysalis will be an ac­ceptable acquisition. It derives the title of Purple High Flyer, as it very rarely descends to the ground; except in some few instances, it has never been taken but in the most elevated situations, and even those instances have been after a strong wind, or heavy rain: The tops of the loftiest forest trees afford it an asylum, and in the Caterpillar and Chrysalis state, it is preserved from the wanton cruelty of man, by the almost inaccessible height of its habitation. They feed on the Sallow, salix caprea, and the Caterpillars are obtained by beating the branches of the tree with a pole twenty or thirty feet in length; it is then but a necessary precaution to cover the ground beneath with large sheets to a certain distance, or the insects which fall, will be lost among the herbage.

It is in Caterpillar about May and June; it passes to the Chrysalis state, and in July or August is a Papilio.

The great difficulty and trouble to rear the Caterpillars, when found; and greater difficulty to take the Fly, has stamped a valuable consi­deration on it, and particularly so when fine, and a high price is but esteemed an adequate compensation for it if in good preservation. The male is smaller, but more beautiful than the female; the upper side of the wings of the female not being enriched with that vivid change of purple which the male possesses in such an eminent degree; but the underside of the female is far richer in the various teints of colour than the male: they are both beautifully spotted, mottled, and waved with brown, black, white, and orange. The Chrysalis is of a very delicate texture, much resembling thin white paper, and is tinged in several parts with a very lively purple hue which it borrows from the wings of the enclosed insect, and bears the characteristic mark of a Papilio, by being suspended from the tail, with the head downward.

Many species of the Cimex genus differ so materially in their ge­neral form, that very nice attention is necessary to discriminate the species which evidently belong to this extensive family. The external appearance of the House, or Scarlet Bug, cannot intimate the con­nection to the same genus with this slender bodied insect; but so they are arranged by Linnaeus, and so they will appear on a proper inspec­tion of those parts which constitute their generic character.

The present species is common, and may be taken during great part of the warm seasons. We have an Insect of the same genus (Cimex Lacustris) which has frequently attracted notice by the va­riety and activity of its motions, when sporting on the surface of stagnant pools, or other standing water: It appears to fly, or skim the surface, but its wings are not often expanded, the lightness of its body [Page 6] and length of its legs, permitting it to dart with great velocity in any direction, and when it alights, it causes only a gentle tremulous motion beneath it. Its habits have much affinity to the generality of aquatic insects, and being constantly found on that element, would almost determine it to be of that race; but it is rather amphibious, and very rarely descends beneath the surface. It will at intervals rest for several minutes motionless on the water, its six legs are then ex­panded, and the tarsi of the feet only touch the surface; but the Cimex Stagnorum is remarkable for the regularity and carefulness of all its actions; it rarely runs, but treads the water, slow, and ever appears to apprehend danger; it frequently pauses suddenly, and if it then perceives any thing disagreeable, retires. Aquatic Insects are generally supplied at several parts of their body with an oily matter that the water can­not penetrate, and the legs of this Insect is apparently possessed of that property.

The Caterpillar of this Phalaena feeds on the Oak. Our specimen was taken from an oak at Norwood, July 15. They are not very common, although found, during the month of July, in several parts near London.

The Papilio Hyale has been described by several authors, English and Foreign, and the natural historians of Germany have generally no­ticed it. Unlike many Insects we have in our country, it is found in every part of Europe, but in greater abundance in Africa and America. [Page 18] Its breadth in England rarely exceeds two inches; but influenced by a warmer climate, they arrive at a higher degree of perfection than in those northern countries, at least they are commonly taken much larger. With us it has ever been esteemed as a rare Insect, though seen this season in Kent in greater plenty than for several years; but as they were probably only an accidental brood, they may again disap­pear for a considerable time. The Fly is to be taken in autumn, but seldom after August.

Our Figure is of the male;—the female has several irregular yel­low spots on the black borders.

In Plate 24 of this work we have represented the LIBELLULA DEPRESSA in the winged state, and our present Figure is, of the Larva of that Insect. We have before described it as a savage vora­cious creature in every state of its existence. The Larva, which is an aquatic, feeds on Insects of that element; and when it becomes adult, Moths, Butterflies, and other winged Insects are its prey. As Lepidopterous Insects are not provided with any weapons, defensive or offensive, it will encounter the largest, grasp them in its claws, and tear them to pieces. Its mouth is spacious, and well adapted for that purpose.

The Larvae of most winged Insects pass to the Aurelia, or Chrysalis state, and thence produce the Fly; but the Larvae of the Libellulae never undergoes that change, and though its appearance is altered several times in its progress to perfection, it does not become dormant. When the ultimate period of its last change arrives, it crawls to the bank, or side of the ditch, and affixing its legs firmly to the ground, or grass, it collects all its strength, and by one violent effort the fu­ture between the Thorax and Abdomen is broken, whence the Head and Thorax is protruded; after some pause the exuvia is cast off, and the Wings, which were before enwrapped in the short cases at the bottom of the Thorax, expand. The creature now entirely formed for flight, only waits a short time to exhale the superfluous moisture, and then rushes into the air, to spread havoc and disorder.

As the Rag-wort grows spontaneously in almost every part of the country, the yearly increase of the Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars is ge­nerally considerable; and though many must inevitably perish before they arrive at perfection, the Fly may always be found in plenty in June, the Caterpillars in July and August.

The Caterpillars which are smooth, and of a plain green colour, are found on such plants as grow in ditches, or fenny situations.—The Sisymbrium Nasturtium, Water Cress, is its common food, but it will devour with avidity most aquatic vegetables, particularly the Festuca Fluitans, Floating Fescue Grass. It is esteemed one of the rarest Species of Phalaenae we have in this country, its elegant form and rich colouring determines it also one of the most beautiful. Near [Page 26] London it has been sought with most success in the Battersea Fields, or on those banks which abound with aquatic plants, between Battersea and Richmond; the marshes in the vicinity of Deptford and Rother­hithe have been yet more productive; we do not [...]owever understand that any have been taken this season about the metropolis.

The very singular manner in which this Caterpillar constructs its web, deserves particular notice: previous to its transformation from the Larva to the Aurelia, it quits the tender plants which afford nou­rishment, and retires to those, better calculated for its protection, in its defenceless state; its choice is generally the Scirpus Lacustris (Bull Rush), or the stoutest plant that is near, if its leaves are rushy and strong. Its first process is to make a deep incision across the leaf, which it effects with little labour, as its mouth is well armed for the purpose; the upper part of the leaf being thus deprived of its support, instantly becomes dependent; the Caterpillar embraces the two sur­faces of the fractured leaf, and weaves its web between. The web is of an exquisite texture and whiteness, and bears great resemblance to the webs of some spiders that frequent watery places.

The Caterpillars are found in June and July, the Fly in August.

The Genus Aranea includes a vast, if not endless variety of species, and though the greatest dissimilarity may be observed as to size, pro­portion, or colouring, of many individual kinds, yet the rapaciousness [Page 34] common to the family, is apparent in all. Our domestic Spiders are plain in their colours, and seldom attain a very extraordinary size; the gardens are infested by species somewhat larger, and more lively in their marks and teints, but if we wish to trace the just gradations of the beauty, or size, of those detestable creatures, the forests abound; and will afford the highest gratification to the enquiries of the naturalist. We have Spiders purely white, or white stained with a lovely green; yellow, marked with a vivid red; purples shaded with the richest hues, and the brightest browns, bespangled with the utmost elegance and symmetry: Yet under those rich adornments which nature has so pro­fusely bestowed on this complication of beauty, and ferocity, we dis­cover inherent qualities, which, in larger animals, would become formidable, and though we feel confident of our superiority over the insidious art of such a contemptible creature, yet the mind is suscepti­ble of an inward abhorrence at its touch, which neither the expansion of philosophy, or ignorance of its disposition, will sometimes suppress. It is probable, that Thomson, in his description of the Spider, felt this sympathy of the human mind,

Early in the spring we find the nests of Spiders in the crevices of old walls, trees, and other obscure places. They are enclosed in webs of a white, yellow, or grey colour, varying according to the [Page 35] species; immediately that the warmth of the sun has hatched them, they disperse, it being no longer necessary to live in societies, which indeed, would deprive some of their subsistence.

In February we took a nest of minute yellowish eggs, which proved to be the infant offspring of the A. Diadema, they scarcely exceeded the size of a pin's head when hatched, and were of a bright yellow colour; at first their food was the common house fly, but their increase in bulk was so rapid that it was necessary to destroy many, to preserve a few; we therefore selected four specimens, which being fed in separate glasses, and on different insects, exhibited each a distinct degree of strength, and colour. One specimen destroyed thirty of the common house fly in a day; it then appeared much enlarged, and the colours were almost black, except the spots of white, which sparkled with infinite lustre; but being confined a week without a fresh supply, its colours were considerably faded; another week of abstinence reduced its colours to a pale uniform brown, the body was much wasted, and the creature became perfectly ravenous. It devoured a vast quantity of food, and recovered much of its former colours a few hours after.

Our largest Spiders are incomparable for their size, or venomous qualities, to the productions of America, or of the eastern countries; in Germany they are far superior in size to our specimens, but in Surinam they are infinitely surpassed, Spiders of those parts being often found with legs as thick as a goose-quill, and three or four inches in length, which with difficulty support a body as large as a pullet's egg. Their snares are commonly extended from one branch of a tree to another, covering the space of twenty or thirty feet, and is suffi­ciently strong to entangle the largest insects. A. Seba has figured a Spider of this description, as descending from an arm of a tree, into the nest of a small species of Humming Bird, to suck the blood of the parent, and eggs.

"The eyes of the Spider are a very beautiful microscopic object, viewed either as transparent or opake; they have generally eight, two on the top of the head, that look directly upwards; two in the front, a little below the foregoing, to discover what passes before it; and on each side a couple more, one whereof points sideways forward, the other sideways backward; so that it can see almost all around it. They are immoveable, and seem to be formed of a hard, transparent, horny sub­stance. The number of eyes is not the same in all the species of the [Page 36] Spider. They have eight legs, with six joints, thickly beset with hairs, and terminating in two crooked moveable claws, which have little teeth like a saw; at a small distance from these claws, but placed higher up, is another, somewhat like a cock's spur, by the assistance of which it adheres to it's webs; but the weapon wherewith it seizes and kills its prey is a pair of sharp crooked claws, or forceps, placed in the fore-part of the head. They can open or extend these pincers as occasion may require; when undisturbed they suffer them to lie one upon another. Mr. Lewenhoeck says, that each of these claws has a small aperture, or slit, through which he supposes a poisonous juice is injected into the wound it makes.

"The exuvia of the Spider, which may be found in cobwebs, be­ing transparent, is an excellent object; and the fangs, or forceps, may be easier separated from it, and examined with more exactness than in a living Spider. The contexture of the Spider's web, and their man­ner of weaving them, have been discovered by the microscope. The Spider is supplied with a large quantity of glutinous matter within it's body, and five dugs, or teats, for spinning it into thread. This substance, when examined accurately, will be found twisted into many coils, of an agate colour, and which, from its tenacity, may be easily drawn out into threads. The five teats are placed near the extremity of its tail; from these the aforesaid substance proceeds; it adheres to any thing it is pressed against, and being drawn out, hardens in the air. The Spider can contract or dilate at pleasure the orifices through which the threads are drawn. The threads unite at a small distance from the body, so that those which appear to us so fine and single, are notwithstanding composed of five joined together, and these are many times doubled when the web is in formation."

The Caterpillars will devour indiscriminately the leaves of the knot-grass, of pease, the broom, &c. it is from the latter food, the Moth receives its name. The Caterpillars are found in July and [Page 40] August, and descend into the ground late in September or the first week in October, and the Fly comes forth in July.

Caterpillars that enter the earth in the larva form, pass to the chrysalis, and issue forth in the perfect or Fly state, have no occasion for a web to protect them; and therefore few species prepare one. But among those which remain exposed in the open air, a very small pro­portion neglect to weave a web with the utmost skill and industry; the least attentive to this apparently necessary precaution are the Papiliones, who, often regardless of their situations, are found [in chrysalis] sus­pended against walls, the trunks, or branches of trees, and even paleings in very public roads.

A very elegant, though common Species of the Sphinx Genus: it is taken in the months June and July. After the Insect dies, the colour of the thorax and abdomen, except the yellow bands, is en­tirely black, or black with a very faint gloss of a reddish blue: but is an exceedingly brilliant dark purple, while the creature is alive; and the yellow belts on the alternate divisions of the body, glitter in the sunshine with the effulgence of molten gold. The legs are yet more beautiful, as the purple, though paler, is of a livelier lustre; and every joint is deeply fringed with the same golden colour as that on the body. [Page 42] The wings, which are perfectly transparent, except at the apex, are delicately veined, and ribbed with black lines. The fan tail is expanded or contracted at pleasure.

If the creature bursts from it's chrysalis in the morning, it is gene­rally observed sporting among the leaves of the nearest plants about noon; and this is commonly the time the male is seen seeking its mate.

It's very singular appearance before the opaque microscope, induced us to give the magnified figure, together with the Caterpillar, Chry­salis, and Sphinx, of the natural size.

The Female deposits her eggs in the crevices of such twigs as are hollow; and a peculiar instinct almost invariably directs her to the stalks of the currant trees: which are not only easy of access, but afford grateful nourishment to the young brood. Immediately that the Caterpillar is enlarged from the egg, it perforates the stalk, and, hav­ing entire possession of the inner channel, it feeds on the soft substance which is abundant within. Thus it is secured by nature, with a de­fence against many depredators, to which all Caterpillars, except in­ternal feeders, are exposed.

It changes to a Chrysalis within the stalk.

A short time before the Insect bursts forth, the Chrysalis is pro­truded through the outer bark, precisely in the same manner as the Chrysalis of the Sp. Apiformis (PLATE 25.); and is supported by a similar contrivance, every segment being serrated, or armed, with a row of very minute teeth, which firmly embrace the substance of the stalk, and elevate the Chrysalis in an oblique posture; until the last efforts of the Insect completely disengages it from the case.

The Sp. Tipuliformis is the only Species of the transparent-winged Hawk-Moths, which is common near London; and is the smallest In­sect of this division of the genus: the division contains few individual species: but such as are generally very rare; at least the broods appear local in this country. The Currant Sphinx is taken in June.

A very beautiful species of the Papilio; and, were it less frequent, would be infinitely esteemed for the elegant combination of its co­lours; but is at present little regarded. The old Flies are observed in May, the Caterpillars are hatched about the middle of June; in July they are full fed, and cast their last exuviae: they transform into Chry­salis, in which state they remain only fifteen days, and then burst forth a Papilio.

They continue to breed in vast quantities during the warm weather; and have, if the season be favourable, several broods before the winter.

The Chrysalis is brown, but often assumes much of a golden hue; and, though not its common appearance, is sometimes seen entirely of a rich gilded, or gold colour; but this is unnatural, and generally indicates that the Caterpillar has been stung by the Ichneumon Fly. The Caterpillars are taken on the Nettle ^*.

We cannot select more pleasing objects for microscopical investiga­tion, than those two minute moths, especially the first; the markings appear rather confused without the assistance of glasses, but a lens of a very small power completely developes it of this imaginary obscu­rity, and displays an elegance sufficient to recommend it to our atten­tion; but independent of such consideration, it will, it is presumed, be considered as a material advantage to the description annexed, to ac­company the figure of the natural size with a microscopical represen­tation; not to enforce that such addition is indispensibly necessary, but when moths like the present offer, whose marks, though beautiful, appear confused, it will certainly much assist to its necessary informa­tion; as well as in future to determine the species itself.

This singular little insects feeds, when in the larva state, on plants of the scrophularia genus, (fig-wort), and thence receives its specific name. The beetle is not uncommon in June, and is usually found on the same plants as the larva: the minuteness of this creature evades a complete discovery of the uncommonly tesselated appearance it as­sumes before the speculum of an opake microscope; our plate repre­sents the chrysalis and beetle, natural size, together with a conside­rably magnified figure of the latter.

This elegant species of the Noctua division of Moths, appears to be not only a nondescript, but altogether unknown before; even to the best practical entymologists: That an insect of such magnitude should have been unnoticed by Linnaeus, or Fabricius, is not very singular, as several nondescripts of a similar, and many of an inferior, [Page 66] size, are to be seen in almost every cabinet; but that the species should have escaped the researches of the most eminent collectors, is rather astonishing.

We have sought every information which our connection would permit; and from the result we scarcely hesitate to pronounce the insect of a nondescript species, and our specimen to be perfectly unique; at least it is a newly-discovered acquisition to many scientific entymologists.

The original, whence the figure has been copied, is in the collec­tion of the author; it was taken in a lane leading immediately from the wood at Tottenham, the last week in June, 1793. It was dis­covered in the evening, on a blade of grass; and, from its wet ap­pearance, as well as exquisite preservation, it had certainly just emerged from its chrysalis.

The Caterpillar may be supposed to be an underground feeder, and to subsist on the roots of grass, &c. or one of that kind which comes only above the surface of the earth in the night.

Whether this is the Musca Onopordinis of Linnaeus, as quoted, we cannot exactly determine; it answers to his description of that insect, but he speaks so very concisely, that we will not venture to assure ourselves of his M. Onopordinis being our species. In this and many other instances we find, that though brevity is the greatest ex­cellence of the Linnaean descriptions, it is also their most essential fault.

The species may, with much propriety, stand under the name Onopordinis, as we believe it has never been figured before; and, should the Linnaean species be hereafter discovered to differ from the present, a new name may be readily given to that insect.

Flies in April and May, and is very common in the summer, in woods.

In form and size this species is not unlike the common Meloe ^*; but is far superior to that Insect, for the beauty of its colours: when the creature is alive the upper part of the body partakes of the most vivid colours, but those colours become more obscure after the Insect dies;— this difference of the appearance, between the living and dead specimen of the same species, is not peculiar to this Insect only, but is commonly observed of most other kinds. The body is large in proportion to the other parts, but after death it is so contracted, or distorted from its natural shape, as to assume the appearance of an incoherent mass; the skin so co [...]rugated as to receive a false light on different parts of the surface, and consequently the natural glow of [Page 82] the colours considerably decreased by the exhalation of that moisture which served to refresh them in the living state.

The underside, from the greater tenacity of the skin, or shelly sub­stance, is less liable to alteration than the upper side; it is entirely of a dark, but beautiful purple, which is changeable in proportion to the convexity of the body, to the most brilliant hues; the legs are also of a beautiful purple, with the appearance of bronze or copper colour intermixed.

It does not appear to be frequent in any part of Europe; even in Germany it is rarely, if ever taken: as one of the British Coleopterae it is very little known, and is perhaps confined to the distant parts of Kent, where it is not generally diffused, but is found local to certain situations.

Mr. Crow, of Feversham, very fortunately met with a brood of them last season, and transmitted several specimens to his friends in London. They varied considerably in several respects, and particularly in their colours; some appearing much more beautiful than others.

The male is smaller than the female; they secrete themselves be­neath the surface of the earth, and subsist on the roots of grass, or herbage in general: are sometimes found by turning up the mould, or may be observed crawling among the grass. Come forth in April, or May.

The females of this species are very rarely met with, as they con­ceal themselves among the grass; but the males are commonly taken when flying, and generally indicate that the females are near.

The Caterpillars will feed on the willow, but prefer the leaves of the bramble.

[Page 88]In this state they are found about the latter end of June, July, or August; and remain so during the Winter. In April they change to the Pupa form, and in May they appear in the Fly state.

The Moth has little to recommend it to notice; and the Pupa, like most others, is of a dull uniform black brown; it is therefore under the form of a caterpillar that it appears to most advantage.

Chickweed is a favorite food with the Caterpillars of this Insect, but it will eat the leaves of the currant, white-thorn, nettle, grass, &c. if the former cannot be readily procured.

[Page 94]The Caterpillars are black and foxy, or hairy; but in a less degree than the Caterpillars of Ph. Caja, Great Tyger Moth, which we have figured in the early part of this work.

About the latter end of April the Caterpillars have attained their full size, and change into chrysalis; late in May they appear in the winged state.

It is by no means so frequent as the Great Tyger Moth, though not very rare; but it is infinitely superior for the happy combination of its colours to it, or either of the British species of that tribe which are trivially termed Tygers: it is already high in the esteem of col­lectors; and were specimens of the kind less common, it would be in great request among the English Entomologists.

Frequents banks which face the rising sun.

This species is found in every part of Europe, though very scarce; and in England it is extremely rare.

[Page 96]And it is no less distinguished for the very singular structure and length of its antennae, than for its rarity; that part which forms one of the most certain characteristics of almost every tribe of Insects, constitutes the most prominent character in this.

Of its use, we are altogether ignorant, as the various opinions that have been given by former writers are now obliterated; some have supposed that they were the organs of hearing, or smell; and others have imagined that they were susceptible of the least motion in the ambient fluid in which they move.

Geoffroy discovered the organs of hearing in several amphibious animals, viz. in the toad, frog, viper, some other serpents, lizard, water-salamander, and skate ^*; and many of the most eminent ana­tomists of the present time have discovered by their researches into the animal kingdom, those organs in different creatures. Profes­sor Camper, in 1763, published remarks on the organs of hearing in fishes, in the Harlem Transactions ^†: Mr. Hunter has described others in the Philosophical Transactions ^‡; and Dr. Monro has de­scribed and figured great variety of them in his large work on the structure and physiology of fishes.

Probably, induced by those discoveries professor Fabricius endea­voured to ascertain the organs of hearing in Insects also; and about nine years ago published an account of this interesting discovery in the New Copenhagen Transactions ^§, with figures of those organs in the crab and lobster: he found the external orifice of the organ in these animals to be placed between the long and the short antennae, the cochlea, &c. being lodged in the upper part, which Linnaeus calls the thorax, near the base of the serrated projection at its apex; we must therefore conclude that the antennae of Insects are appropriated for some other purposes than those it is at present suspected they answer.

The Cerambyx Aedilis, Fabricius informs us, lives in the trunks of trees; its horns are moveable, as it can either direct them forward, or support them in an erect position; and when it sleeps, it reclines them along its back; it also reclines them when it walks quick, or has to pass through a narrow track, as the least resistance from any thing in its way, would be very liable to injure, or break them off.

Our specimen was taken in May.