A 



Natural History 



OF THE 



British Lepidoptera, 



THEIR WORLD-WIDE VARIATION d GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 

 VOL. X. 



410 + viii. pages. 53 full-page illustrations. 



Price £1 net. 



Another volume of this encyclopaedic work has now been issued. The Contents, as 

 in the preceding volumes, are divided into two Parts. Part I consists of three general 

 chapters; "Family-habits in Butterflies" — (a) "The Chrysophanids or Coppers," 

 {h) "The Urbicolids or Skippers," (c) "The Papilionids or Swallowtails." These 

 chapters contain a summary not only of what is known of the larval habits of the British 

 and European species of these groups, but a large amount of material, of equal interest, 

 concerning the Exotic species. These chapters, indeed, appeal particularly to biologists 

 and systematists engaged in work dealing with Exotic species. 



Part II is also divisible into two sections : (1) The general consideration of the 

 subfamilies, tribes and genera of the " blues," and a detailed account (amounting to a 

 . revolutionary revision) of the genera Everes, Ciipido, Plebeius, Cyiiniris and Ayriaden. It 

 is particularly to those systematists still lumping all sorts of ' ' blues " into the few old time 

 recognised genera — Lycaena, Cyaniris (usually wrongly applied), ttc. — that this should 

 appeal, as offering them an intelligible classification which has been proved accurate by a 

 detailed considei-ation of the genitalic structures and which is supported by the facts 

 relating to the early stages as here set forth in detail. To those systematists who know 

 nothing of the characters afforded by the early stages, the long series of plates illustrating 

 these characters should afford most interesting materal for consideration and study. 



The account of each species must appeal to two entirely different classes of naturalists. 

 The details of the early stages (illustrated by numerous photographs) should be as interest- 

 ing to the general biologist as to the field naturalist. The descriptive portion, dealing as 

 it does with all recorded (and dozens of unrecorded) cases of gynandromorphism and 

 teratological developments, must appeal to the most advanced students of the causes of 

 Variation ; whilst every known variety and aberration, hitherto described, is dealt with 

 from the standpoint of recent knowledge, the original description in every case being 

 given so that the student can work at any form at first hand. The tabulation of the 

 Variation of each species under its "Male," "Female," and " underside " forms, and 

 then its " local races," makes the matter easy to be reached by all students. 



The correction of the errors that have grown up around Everes argiades and E. 

 alcetas, and of Plebeius argus (aegon) and P. argyrognomon, the clearing up of the facts 

 relating to the local races of Cyaniris seiidargus, Agriades thetis, etc., must make the 

 volume of first value^to all serious students of Palsearctic butterflies. 



Even to the collector, the ease with which he can trace his varieties and aberrations, 

 and the knowledge that he can get of their comparative rarity and value, should make the 

 work welcome. An aberration of A. thetis produced 9 guineas only a few weeks since in 

 " Stevens' salerooms," yet how few collectors know the rarity of the aberrations they 

 possess. 



Every supporter of this work can rest assured that he is helping forward entomological 

 science. 



Deak Sir, — 



Herewith I forward P.O. for £1, being the piice of Vol. X. of A Natural History of 

 the Britisli Lepidoptera. 



Name 



Address 



Mr. J. HERBERT TUTT, 119, Westcombe Hill, Blackheath, S.E. 



