IIESPERIDJ-:. 263 



(such as G. McrcatiLs, (Fab.), Alcdor, Fekl. &c.), and arc still more 

 developed in the West- African Hespcria Bmce, (L.), and Chalyhe, Westw. ; 

 and submetallic similar hues adorn Ahantis Zamhcsina and 'imradisca, 

 of Tropical and Extra-Tropical Southern Africa. 



The New World is the metropolis of this family, about two-thirds 

 of the recorded species and a majority of the genera being peculiar 

 to it. Even North America (Extra-Tropical), which is poor in butter- 

 flies generally, has yielded over 1 00 species — mostly belonging, how- 

 ever, to the two genera Fampldla and Mson lacks. Tropical America 

 has produced nearly three-fifths of the known species. The Talaiarctic 

 region is exceedingly poor in HesjJeridce, the researches of very many 

 collectors and of lepidopterists having resulted in a series of 46 

 species only, of whicli 28 belong to Europe proper. Next to but 

 far behind the overwhelmingly rich Neo-Tropical region comes the 

 Oriental, which appears to have produced considerably over 200 

 species; while under half this number are noted as inhabiting the 

 Australian region. Africa and its islands do not hitherto seem to 

 have yielded more than about 1 60 species, the majority of which are 

 only known to me by Plotz's brief descriptions. The South-African 

 list embraces 64, thus distributed among the following genera, viz. : — 

 Cijclopidcs 9, Pyrgiis 14, TliymcHcus 7, PamphUa 12, Ancyloxypha 3, 

 Ahantis (including Lcucochitonca, Wallengren) 5, Caprona 2, Ftcrygo- 

 spidea 7, and Rcspcria ( = Ismcne, Swainsou) 5. None of these genera 

 are peculiar to the Ethiopian region except Ahantis and Caprona, but 

 these two do not appear to be represented north of the Equator. 

 Thirty of the sixty-four South-African species at present seem to be 

 peculiar to the Extra-Tropical area, but this number will probably be 

 reduced when the South-Tropical belt is better explored by collectors. 

 The flight of the Hesperidoi is very peculiar ; though always swift, 

 and usually of great velocity, it is exceedingly short, being continually 

 arrested by the abrupt settling of the insect. This curious action on 

 the wing has gained for the few species inhabiting England the common 

 name of " Skipper." When resting, these butterflies exhibit various 

 modes of holding the wings, some — such as Cydopidcs, Hespcria, and 

 Paynpihila — having their wings either quite erect in the ordinary 

 manner, or with the hind-wings partly open ; others {Caprona, Ptcry- 

 gospidea, &c.), keeping all the wings fully expanded; and Tamijris, 

 according to Swainson,^ sitting with wings lowered, but (as in some 

 species of Papilio) so that the fore-wings overlap and almost conceal 

 the hind-wings. As mentioned above (vol. i. p. 30), the European 

 Nisoniades Tages, when completely in repose, holds its wings deflected 

 in the attitude of a Bombycide or Nocturide moth ; and Speyer men- 

 tions " that Zeller had noticed this as long ago as 1847, not only in 

 Tagcs, but also in newly-emerged Pyrgus Mcdvarum ( = Alccm, Esp.)- 

 Those Hcspcridw that keep the wings fully expanded have the habit of 



1 Zool. lllustr., i. pi. 33 (1S20-21). - Stctt. Ent. Zdt., 187S, p. 16S. 



