X PREFACE. 



Nature, they are artificial ; but they, and not Nature, become thereby 

 inconvenient. In so far as they do represent Nature, are they natural, 

 the expressions of natural facts, and so, convenient and valuable. We 

 gauge their value and their convenience by the closeness of their harmony 

 with Nature ; or, if we do not, then are our opinions worthless ; but let us 

 not suppose that Nature has yet revealed all her secrets, nor that she will 

 reveal them except to the earnest and devout inquirer. 



As to the nomenclature actually adopted, I have endeavored to follow 

 the rules laid down by the American Ornithologists' Union ; for, though 

 they contravene my views of what would be best at very many points, 

 they seem to me, in the existing divergence of views on this subject, by 

 far the best yet proposed which are likely to receive final adoption by 

 all. The progressive adhesion to their principles by men holding very 

 diverse opinions makes one hopeful of such a peaceful result. 



I had planned originally to introduce poetical allusions to butterflies 

 here and there ; but the chance collection of these citations showed them 

 to be so much more numerous than I had supposed, that, with the aid of 

 several friends, I searched literature for its entomological specimens, and 

 the collection at last became so extensive as to serve for even more than a 

 relief from the dry synonymy they followed, and to permit here and there 

 a selection which had some special significance. An examination of the 

 list of authors cited, which includes about one hundred and fifty names, 

 will quickly show how much more generally the poets of our modern 

 world have received their inspiration from the external life of Nature 

 than have the earlier poets. 



The butterflies treated of in the Appendix were introduced into the 

 work when it was seen that the fauna of New England required but little 

 extension to have it include all the butterflies known to occur in North 

 America east of the Mississippi, excepting such as are found only in the 

 unsettled parts of Canada or south of Kentucky and Virginia. It was, 

 however, an afterthought not entering into the original plan, and could 

 not be made so complete in the important matters of the history and 

 distribution of the species without delaying the work for the collection of 

 material; it has indeed been written during the printing of the work. 

 To maintah) a better balance, I have therefore limited also the descrip- 

 tive portion, added such notes as were readily procurable, though I have 

 doubtless overlooked some important matter, and have separated the 

 species from the body of the work, thereby warranting the running title 

 at the head of the earlier pages. 



A few explanatory words may be added regarding some details. In 

 the synonymy of the species I have given only what seemed essential, 

 omitting much that had been collected, with a view of presenting the first 

 mention of the insect under each of the names that had been given it, and 

 adding to that only the more important citations, including especially 

 original descriptions of the early stages and accounts of life histories, and 



