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: 
1. The Nymphalid^, or “ Brush-footed Butterflies.” 
2. The Lemonade, or “ Metal-marks.” 
3. The LyCjENID/E, or “ Blues,” “Coppers,” and “Hair-streaks.” 
4. The Papilionim, or the “ Swallowtails ” and their allies. 
5 . The Hesperiime, or the “Skippers.” 
The Nymphalid^, 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 Lemoniidze, 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 antennae are relatively longer than in the Ly- 
ccenidce. 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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