The Classification of Butterflies 



it will be well for us to note the subdivisions which have been 

 made into the larger groups, known as families, and to show 

 how butterflies belonging to one or the other of these may be 

 distinguished from one another. There are five of these families 

 represented within the territory of which this book takes notice. 

 These five families are the following: 



i. The Nymphalid/E, or " Brush-footed Butterflies." 



2. The Lemoniid/e, or "Metal-marks." 



3. The Lyc^enid/e, or " Blues," "Coppers," and "Hair-streaks." 



4. The Papilionidte, or the " Swallowtails " and their allies. 



5. The Hesperiid/e, or the " Skippers." 



The Nymphalid^e, the " Brush-footed Butterflies." 



The butterflies of this family may be distinguished as a great 

 class from all other butterflies by the fact that in both sexes the 

 first, or prothoracic, pair of legs is greatly dwarfed, useless for 

 walking, and therefore carried folded up against the breast. 

 From this peculiarity they have also been called the " Four-footed 

 Butterflies." This is the largest of all the families of the butter- 

 flies, and has been subdivided into many subfamilies. Some of 

 the genera are composed of small species, but most of the genera 

 are made up of medium-sized or large species. The family is 

 geologically very ancient, and most of the fossil butterflies which 

 have been discovered belong to it. The caterpillars are in most 

 of the subfamilies provided with horny or fleshy projections. 

 The chrysalids always hang suspended by the tail. 



The Lemoniid/e, the "Metal-marks." 



This family is distinguished from others by the fact that the 

 males have four ambulatory or walking feet, while the females have 

 six such feet. The antennce are relatively longer than in the Ly- 

 coenidx. The butterflies belonging to this great group are mostly 

 confined to the tropics of the New World, and only a few genera 

 and species are included in the region covered by this volume. 

 They are usually quite small, but are colored in a bright and odd 

 manner, spots and checkered markings being very common. Many 

 are extremely brilliant in their colors. The caterpillars are small 

 and contracted. Some are said to have chrysalids which are sus- 

 pended; others have chrysalids girdled and attached at the anal 

 extremity, like the Lyccenidce. The butterflies in many genera 

 have the habit of alighting on the under side of leaves, with their 

 wings expanded. 



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