Page:Jardine Naturalist's Library Exotic Moths.djvu/100

90 by having the wings narrow and entire, the anterior apical nerve trifurcate, the middle nerve also trifurcate, the branches nearly straight; under wings rather short, entire, the cell elongated, and the apex emitting nerves which are nearly straight; antennæ of the female slender, very slightly serrated on one side; tongue spiral, elongated; palpi short; abdomen provided with a small exserted terebra. The species figured expands two inches eight lines. Head dark violet, antennæ black; anterior wings greenish, marked with several white spots; the hinder pair orange at the base, the exterior half black, passing into violet towards the apex, and spotted with white. The thorax is velvet black, tinged before and behind with violet. Abdomen orange, the first or basal segment violet. Under side of the body violet-blue, the segments of the abdomen alternately variegated with white and black. This insect is a native of Assam. "It appears," says Mr. Hope, in whose extensive collection specimens are preserved, "to be a nondescript, and is one of the most beautiful in colouring of my acquaintance; it is probably one of the genera of a family peculiar to the East Indies. Little is known of the oriental Lepidoptera, except those described in the Annulosa Javanica of Dr. Horsfield, so much so that I hesitate in hazarding an opinion respecting them. It is almost impossible to describe the beautiful colouring of this lovely insect; the dye of the under wings is of a rich mazarine blue, which passes insensibly into violet and black. In affinity