The Classification of Butterflies 



The Lyc/enid,€, the "Gossamer-winged Butterflies." 



This great family comprises the butterflies which are familiarly 

 known as the "hair-streaks," the "blues," and the "coppers." 

 The males have four and the females six walking feel. The cat- 

 erpillars are small, short, and slug-shaped. The chrysalids are 

 provided with a girdle, are attached at the end of the abdomen, and 

 lie closely appressed to the surface upon which they have undergone 

 transformation. Blue is a very common color in this family, 

 which includes some of the gayest of the small forms which are 

 found in the butterfly world. In alighting they always carry their 

 wings folded together and upright. 



The Papilionid^, the " Swallowtails " and their allies. 



These butterflies have six walking feel in both sexes. The cater- 

 pillars are elongate, and in some genera provided with osmateria, 

 or protrusive organs secreting a powerful and disagreeable odor. 

 The chrysalids are elongate, attached at the anal extremity, and 

 held in place by a girdle of silk, but not closely appressed to the 

 surface upon which they have undergone transformation. 



The Hesperiid/e, or the "Skippers." 



They are generally small in si\e, with stout bodies, very quick 

 and powerful in flight. They have six walking feet in both sexes. 

 The tibia; of the bind feet, with few exceptions, have spurs. The 

 caterpillars are cylindrical, smooth, tapering forward and back- 

 ward from the middle, and generally having large globular heads. 

 For the most part they undergo transformation into chrysalids 

 which have a girdle and an anal hook, or cremaster, in a loose co- 

 coon, composed of a few threads of silk, and thus approximate the 

 moths in their habits. The genus Megathymus has the curious 

 habit of burrowing in its larval stage in the underground stems 

 of the yucca. 



To one or the other of these five families all the butterflies, 

 numbering about six hundred and fifty species, which are found 

 from the Rio Grande of Texas to the arctic circle, can be referred. 



Scientific Names. — From what has been said it is plain to the 

 reader that the student of this delightful branch of science is cer- 

 tain to be called upon to use some rather long and, at first sight, 

 uncouth words in the pursuit of the subject. But experience, 

 that best of teachers, will soon enable him to master any little 

 difficulties which may arise from this source, and he will come 

 finally to recognize how useful these terms are in designating dis- 



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