The Classification of Butterflies 
which in adult plumage have a snow-white head and neck and a 
white tail, constitute a species, which we know as the “ white- 
headed ” or “ bald-headed ” eagle. Species may then be grouped 
together, and those which are manifestly closely related to one an¬ 
other are regarded as forming a natural assemblage of species, to 
which we give the name of a genus. For example, all the large 
cats, such as the lion, the tiger, the puma, and the jaguar, are 
grouped together by naturalists, and form a genus to which is 
given the Latin name Felis , meaning cat. The name of the ge¬ 
nus always comes before that of the species. Thus the tiger is 
spoken of scientifically as Felis tigris. The genera which are 
closely related to one another may again be assembled as sub¬ 
families; and the subfamilies may be united to form families. 
For instance, all the various genera of cats form a family, which 
is known as the Felidae, or the Cat Family. A group of families 
constitutes a suborder or an order. The cats belong to the Car¬ 
nivora, or order of flesh-eating animals. 
In zoology family names are formed with the termination 
•idee, and subfamily names with the termination -ince. 
Everything just said in regard to the classification of the higher 
animals applies likewise to butterflies. Let us take as an illus¬ 
tration the common milkweed butterfly. Linnaeus for a fanci¬ 
ful reason gave this insect the name Plexippus. This is its 
specific name, by which it is distinguished from all other butter¬ 
flies. It belongs to the genus Anosia. The genus Anosia is one 
of the genera which make up the subfamily of the Euploeince. 
The Euploeince belong to the great family of the Nymphalidee. 
The Nymphalidce are a part of the suborder of the Rhopalocera, 
or true butterflies, one of the two great subdivisions of the order 
Lepidoptera, belonging to the great class Insecta, the highest class 
in the subkingdom of the Arthropoda. The matter may be rep¬ 
resented in a tabular form, in the reverse order from that which 
has been given: 
Subkingdom, Arthropoda. 
Class, insecta. 
Order, Lepidoptera. 
Suborder, Rhopalocera. 
Family, Nymphalidce. 
Subfamily, Euploeince 
Genus, Anosia. 
Species, Plexippus (Milkweed Butterfly). 
63 
