XIV INTRODUCTION. 
uncommon in Mexico and Guatemala, and ascends to a considerable elevation, is, we 
believe, confined to our region, and its nearest ally MW. laertes inhabits South Brazil, 
there being no representative of this group in the intervening country. 
The Brassoline are confined to the New World, and include some of the largest of 
the American butterflies, which belong to the genus Caligo, as well as others of 
smaller size, six genera being represented. Unlike the Morphine, they are nearly all 
of crepuscular habits, flying but little during the hottest hours of the day, and when 
disturbed making for the nearest tree-trunk, usually in the dense growth ; Narope has 
even been attracted by light, like a moth. The genera are all tropical, four of them 
reaching Southern Mexico, the other two not extending north of Nicaragua or Costa 
Rica. In the eastern tropics this group appears to be replaced by Thawmantis, 
Tenaris, Discophora, &c., of the subfamily Morphine. 
The Acreeine are numerous in species in Central and South Africa and Madagascar, 
as well as in certain parts of South America, but within our limits very few are found, 
four only being known to us, and one of these is but doubtfully distinct. The 
American forms have been separated from Acrwa under the generic name <Actinote. 
The paucity of species in Central America is, however, compensated by the abundance 
of individuals of one or two of them. 
The Heliconiine, like the Brassoline, are all American, and characteristic in- 
habitants of the tropical portions of the New World. The two genera, Heliconius and 
Eueides, extend throughout the whole of our region, and also occur in the Antilles, the 
first-mentioned reaching the United States. Some of the species are very variable in 
colour, especially H. erato and the forms mimicking the Danaine genera Mechanitis, 
Thyridia, Tithorea, &c. We recognize twenty-eight species of Heliconius and seven of 
Eueides from Central America, There seem to be no corresponding forms replacing 
this subfamily in the warmer parts of the Old World. 
The Nymphaline include some of the most widely distributed forms amongst the 
butterflies, and are particularly numerous in Central America, no fewer than fifty- 
seven genera being here recorded. Amongst those not confined to America are 
Eurema, Vanessa, Grapta, Pyrameis, Junonia, Argynnis, Melitea, and Liimenittis ; 
some of these, however, are holarctic, merely extending down the central plateau to 
Mexico or Guatemala. Phyciodes, Anwa, Adelpha, Synchloe, Eunica, Eresia, Lubagis, 
Timetes, and Catagramma are each represented by numerous species. Of the 
