LEPIDOPTERA. 



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expedient to classify them mostly according to the characters 

 furnished by them in the winged state. 



We may first divide the Lepidoptera into three great sections, 

 called butterflies, hawk-moths, and moths, corresponding to 

 the genera Papilio, Sphinx, and Phakcna of Linnaeus. 



The Butterflies (Papiliones) have threadlike antennae, 

 which are knobbed at the end ; the fore wings in some, and all 

 the wings in the greater number, are elevated perpendicularly 

 and turned back to back, when at rest; they have generally 

 two little spurs on the hind legs ; and they fly by day only. 



The Hawk-Moths {Sphinges) generally have the antenna? 

 thickened in the middle, and tapering at each end, and most 

 often hooked at the tip ; the wings are narrow in proportion 

 to their length, and are confined together by a bristle or bunch 

 of stiff" hairs on the shoulder of each hind wing, which is 

 retained by a corresponding hook on the under side of each 

 fore wing; all the wings, when at rest, are more or less 

 inclined like a roof, the upper ones covering the lower wings ; 

 there are two pairs of spurs on the hind legs ; a few fly by 

 day, but the greater number in the morning and evening 

 twilight. 



In the Moths {Phalcena) the antennte are neither knobbed 

 at the end nor thickened in the middle, but taper from the base 

 to the extremity, and are either naked, like a bristle, or are 

 feathered on each side; the wings are confined together by 

 bristles and hooks, the first pair covering the hind wings, and 

 are more or less sloping when at rest ; and there are two pairs 

 of spurs to the hind legs. These insects fly mostly by night. 



I. BUTTERFLIES. {Papiliones.') 



Besides the characters already given, which distinguish this 

 section of the Lepidoptera, it may be stated that their 

 caterpillars always have sixteen legs, namely two, which are 

 tapering, jointed, and scaly, to each of the first three segments 

 behind the head, and a pair of thick fleshy legs, without joints, 

 to all the remaining segments, except the fourth, fifth, tenth, 

 and eleventh: 



