478 Mr. Edward Doubleday's Remarks on the Genus Argynnis. 



especially in consequence of repeated perusals of M. Lefebvre's discourse, to 

 which I am indebted for many important hints. 



As far as I was able to carry my researches, I found the characters derived 

 from the nervures of the highest importance, especially in the difficult family 

 of the Nymphalidce, where they are easier to detect and apparently of greater 

 real value than those drawn from either the antennae or the palpi, and often 

 appear to confirm divisions founded on the form of the larvee ; as for instance, 

 the variations in the structure of the subcostal nervure easily distinguish the 

 genera Helicodes, Charaxes and Apatura, of which the larvae are spined only 

 on the head and are attenuated posteriorly, from Marpesia, NymphaUs, Lime- 

 nitis and Diadema, of which the larvae are more or less spined on the thoracic 

 and abdominal segments, and nearly cylindrical : and relying on these cha- 

 racters in the absence of information as to the larvae, I have placed Agrias, 

 Cklorippe, Prepona, &c. with the former, and Timetes, Amphirena, l^ictor'ma 

 and Prothoe with the latter, though in this I differ from my learned friend Dr. 

 Boisduval, the 'facile princeps' of Lepidopterists past and present*. 



A more extended study of this family would probably lead to its subdi- 

 vision into four groups, which might be named Argynnidce, Nymphalidce, Ado- 

 liadce and Apaturidce, the last already separated by Dr. Boisduval, the first by 

 M. Blanchard. 



From the first of these divisions 1 have selected a small but natural group, 

 the genus Argynnis of Godart, excluding however a few species, to show how 

 easily and how naturally it may be subdivided by characters drawn from the 

 nervures, especially from the subcostal. 



As the term subcostal nervure will be used hereafter in a moi-e limited 

 sense than has always hitherto been given to it, it becomes necessary to point 

 out what is to be considered as the true subcostal of the anterior wings, and 

 the reasons for separating from it certain nervules hitherto always regarded as 

 forming part of it. Whilst doing this I shall adhere strictly to M. Lefebvre's 

 nomenclature, and shall chiefly refer for confirmation of my opinions to his 

 plates. 



* In a manuscript catalogue which I owe to his kindness he adopts the following arrangement : 

 Chlorippe, Apatura, Minetra, Menerls, Agrias, Amnosia, Timetes (including Marpesia), Autonema {Pro- 

 thoe, Hubn.), Philognoma, Charaxes, &c. 



