COMMON BUTTERFLl ES OF THE PLAINS OF INDIA. 17 



of which has been regarded by the great majority of collectors 

 in India as the type of that very 'Sub-family. This genus is 

 Mdanitis (the particular species referred to being leda) which he 

 lias removed from the Sub-tamily Satyrince and placed in that of 

 ytimphalinoi. 



In a matter of the present description individual opinions, 

 opposed to generally accepted oiies, are out of place and should be 

 avoided. 



The classification i)roposed to be adopted now will be the one 

 followed in the past by Mr. Moore in his " Lepidoptera of Ceylon," 

 bv Messrs. Marshall and De Niceville in their only partially com- 

 pleted " Butterflies of India, Burmah and Ceylon,'* and, at the present 

 day, by Colonel Bingham* in his " Butterflies " for the " Fauna of 

 British India " Series, of which the first two volumes have lately 

 appeared ; it will be that of the last more particularly as the most 

 recent authoritative work on the subject. It is considered advisable, 

 however, to treat many of Colonel Bingham's Races as Species as has 

 hitherto been the custom. This will simplify references as well as 

 other matters. 



It will, accordingly, be necessary to reject Mr. Young's key to 

 the Suborder Rhopalocera (of the Order Lepidoptera : the other Sub- 

 order being Heterocera or Moths) as well as that to the Family of the 

 Nymphalidce already published, and restart the whole subject from the 



words " Butterflies are classed nnder " on page 573 of Vol. XVI, 



Part 4 of the Journal. Reference will be made, where necessary, 

 back to the plates and descriptions so as to avoid the expense of 

 republishing the figures and the trouble of re-writing what does not 

 require alteration. 



The common butterflies of the })lain.s of India are very few in 

 number, probably altogether they do not exceed seventy species, 

 though, of course, stragglers from the hills may add to the list. To 

 make these papers more widely useful all insects will be mentioned 

 that may possibly be found, even as stragglers, and also such as 

 inhabit the hill-stations of the Bombay Presidency, i.e., such as are 

 found up to 4,000 feet above sea-level on the Western Ghats north of 

 the great evergreen areas of the Kanara District. It is, after all, 



* Col. BLngham died in London after this paper was commenced. It is not yet settled 

 who is to continue his work. 



