Page:Jardine Naturalist's Library Foreign Butterflies.djvu/254

196 and the only way therefore to obtain good specimens, is to feed the caterpillar. "Great numbers of this insect," says Mr. Swainson, speaking of a species almost the exact counterpart of U. Leilus, "were flying during the whole of the morning, past Aqua Fria (Pernambuco) in a direction from north to south: not one deviated from this course, notwithstanding the flowers which were growing around: they flew against the wind, which blew rather strong, and near the ground, but mounted over every tree or other high object which lay in their course; yet their flight was so rapid, that I could not capture a single specimen. They went singly, and near fifty or sixty must have passed the spot opposite the window before mid- day: they continued to pass for three or four days in this manner. 12th June 1817 ."

The present genus differs from Urania in the perfect insect having three distinct tails at the hinder extremity of the posterior wings; neither are these wings so much elongated as in the group just named. The differences between them in their early states will be seen by comparing the following descriptions.