SPECIFIC CHARACTER AND SYNONYMS. Wings oblong and entire; anterior pair black, with three hyaline bands: lower ones hyaline. PAPILIO HIPPODAMIA: alis oblongis integerrimis: anticis nigris: fasciis tribus hyalinis, posticis hyalinis. _Fabr. Ent. Syst. T. 3. p. 1. 165. 509._ _Jon. pict. n. 149._ * * * * * The Papiliones of the _Heliconii_ tribe are named by Linnæus after the nymphs of the fabulous and mythological history of the ancient classics; an example that has been followed by Fabricius, and subsequently by other writers. Thus the present interesting insect is dedicated to commemorate among the votaries of science, the name of Hippodamia, a nymph feigned by the poets to be the daughter of Oenomaiis, and who according to the legends of classic lore, besides being much celebrated for her beauty, was distinguished for her swiftness in the race; and at length bestowed her fair hand in marriage upon Pelops, because in speed he excelled her. This insect, which is of a moderate size, is of a light and elegant structure. The wings are black, but the transparent spots occupy so much space that the sable colouring does not appear predominant; it is less prevalent in the posterior than the anterior wings, and yet less upon the under surface than the upper. The form and disposition of these transparent spots with which the dark colour of this fly is variegated, are altogether characteristic, and deserve particular attention, because there are other insects of the same tribe which pretty nearly resemble it. From the middle of the anterior wing extends a transparent spot of a very elongated heart shaped form, having the point directed to the thorax, and a bar of black crossing it at the broader end, so as to give it the appearance of two distinct spots; and beyond this is another hyaline spot about the same size as the larger one of the two transparent spaces of which the first-mentioned spot consists. The posterior part of the wing is further marked with two bands of the same transparent texture as the others, each consisting of three distinct spots. The lower wings present a larger transparent space than the upper wings, the whole disk being hyaline with only the posterior limb or border opake, and of a black colour. The thorax and body is black. The hyaline spots as seen on the under side are of the same size and form as they appear above, but the opake spaces instead of being uniformly black as on the upper surface, are agreeably diversified with rufous and geminous dots of white: these double white dots are situated on the black border at the tips of the wings, three on that of the anterior pair, and three on that of the posterior ones.