Page:Jardine Naturalist's Library Exotic Moths.djvu/171

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SATURNIA ISIS.
139

of the female was published by Klug in 1836, in a a pamphlet of eight pages, published at Berlin, 4to. He names it Saturnia maja, but as the latter term has already been applied by Drury to another species, we think it better to retain the name by which it was originally designated by Mr. Westwood.

The wings measure very nearly six inches in expanse, and are of a very pale grey colour, especially the anterior pair, which are, however, almost entirely covered with fine black and brown hairs. The centre of these wings is ornamented with a small oval mark, half of which, towards the body, is covered with black scales, and the other half is vitreous; between this and the base is a very curved and irregularly dentate fascia crossing the wing, and immediately behind the eye is a nearly straight slender brown bar. This is succeeded by slender black wavy bars, the space between which and the apex of the wing is divided as it were into three compartments, the first of which is covered with small brown patches, the second is paler and covered with very fine black speckles, and the apical part is much darker, with large black specks. The apical margin of the fore wings is slightly scolloped; the hind wings are entirely covered on the upper side by a most magnificent eye-like spot, surrounded by successive rings of various colours. The oval pupil is black, but the part furthest removed from the body is denuded of scales, and would be vitreous, were not the under side of the