262 SOUTil-AFEICAN BUTTEKFLIES. 



Catalogue (1871-77) gave 60 ; and the late C. PloLz recognised (i 886) 

 no fewer than 6"], 



The large broad head and narrow neck of the Hesperide larvae give 

 them a very different aspect from the caterpillars of other butterflies ; 

 but they are in most cases not easily discoverable, owing to their habit 

 of living and feeding in leaves which they roll or curl up by means of 

 silken threads, much after the manner practised by the larvae of moths 

 of the Tortrix tribe. The chrysalis state is usually assumed within 

 leaves so curled ; and besides the ordinary attachments, there are often 

 various enclosing threads and a slight cocoon. 



In comparison with other groups of butterflies, the Hesj^cridcc 

 exhibit a very limited area of wing-surface, and this makes them 

 appear to be much smaller insects than on observing their large bodies 

 they prove to be. In this respect, and, to a certain extent, in the slender 

 hooked termination of their antenna3,they bear some resemblance to many 

 of the Spliingcs (hawk-moths), which, too, they approach in the great 

 length of their trunk. The largest of them, the AVest- African Hesperia 

 IpJiis, the Indian Erionota Thyrsis $, the Central- American Pyrrliopyga 

 spatiosa, and the South-American Goniloba Astylos, do not expand 

 across the fore-wings much more than three inches ; but the bodies of 

 these species equal in bulk those of the largest Charaxcs. Many exten- 

 sive genera, however, such as the South-American Hudavius, Goniloha, 

 Tamyris, and Proteidcs, and the Old- World Hesperia {Ismene, auct.), 

 consist almost entirely of species expanding from two to two and one- 

 third inches ; but the majority of the Family is of smaller stature, with 

 an expanse ranging from three-fourths of an inch to an inch and a 

 half. The minimum size is exhibited by the South- American Ancyloxy- 

 pha mclanoneura, Felder, and the South African Fyrgus nanus, Trim., 

 scarcely exceeds this in the smaller male examples. 



There is not much variety in the shape of the wings, except in the 

 case of many species of Eudamus, where the hind-wings have a great 

 (in some instances very great) prolongation, broad and ending bluntly, 

 at the anal an^le. In Caprona, some species of Pterygospidea, and 

 especially in Hellas and Achylodcs, the hind-wings are more or less angu- 

 lated, and in parts excised, and in the genera last named the apex of 

 the fore- wings has an acute projection. 



For the greater part, the Hesjjendco are not brightly coloured, and 

 glittering or metallic hues are of extreme rarity among them. The 

 prevalent ground-colour is brown of a darker or lighter shade, and 

 spaces or spots of ochre-yellow are very frequent. Very many are 

 marked with transparent or semi-transparent spots or macular bands. 

 There exists, however, a considerable proportion of more gaily-tinted 

 species ; the South-American genus Tamyris {PyrrJiop>yga, auct.) stand- 

 ing first in the varied colouring of its members, — of which T. versicolor, 

 Latr., with its red, blue, and yellow markings, is perhaps the most 

 striking. Metallic blue and areeu occur in several of the Gonilobce 



