PLATE V. Fig. 1.
_Swainson’s Zoolog. Illus._ 2d series, Pl. 106.--_Boisduv.
Spec. gener._ 380.--Pap. Curius, _Fabr._--_Donov. Insects of
India._--Erycina Curius, _Godart, Ency. Meth._
This genus was first proposed by Mr. Swainson for the reception of a
remarkable insect from Siam and Java, to which various situations had
been assigned by different naturalists. In external aspect it has all
the appearance of an _Erycina_, but, on examining the disposition of
the nervures of the wings, the form of the palpi and antennæ, together
with the structure of the feet, which are all complete in both sexes,
its close affinity to the true _Papiliones_ becomes apparent. The
head and body are very thick; abdomen short; eyes large and salient;
palpi very short, the articulations very indistinct; antennæ rather
long, thickening at the extremity into a club which is slightly curved
upwards. The anterior wings are nearly hyaline, and have the discoidal
cell closed; the posterior folded longitudinally, and each drawn out
into a very long tail curved at the extremity. The expansion of the
wings, in the only known species, is about an inch and a half; the
inner half of the superior pair black, traversed in the middle by a
pretty broad green band; the exterior portion, consisting of a large
triangular space, transparent, with the nervures and external border
black. The inferior wings are black, edged externally with white, and
having a central blue band in continuation of the anterior one. On the
under side, the base of all the wings is whitish, and the abdominal
margin of the under pair is marked with three curved white streaks:
abdomen whitish beneath, and having a double row of black dots on each
side. In the female the bands on the wings are white.
A few years ago this curious butterfly was to be found in very few
cabinets, but it is now received not unfrequently.