54 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



and was the first to perceive the value of characters drawn from all the 

 stages ; the following is his division : — 



I. With four legs (front legs without claws, having often the aypearanee of a tippet, — "pal- 

 atine"). 



1. Caterpillars spiny, wings angular. 



2. " '' wings rounded. 



o. " smooth; fore legs short hut not tippet-like. 



II. With six legs (all the legs furnished with claws. Chrysalids horizontal, girt around the 

 middle with a thread). 



The first division comprises the Nymphalidae : its first two subdivisions 

 corresponding to the Vanessidi and Xymphalidi, the third to the Euploeinae 

 and Satyrinae. This Avas more nattu'al than Linne's divisions, and GeoflProy 

 was also the first to recognize the superiority of the Nymphalidae. 



De Geer (1771) divided butterflies into five families, but he reversed 



the order of GeoiFroy, placing tlie butterflies with perfect fore legs above 



those in Avhich they were atro})hied. None of his families were named ; 



they were as follow s : — 



I. Six legs. Wings embracing under surface of abdomen. 



II. Six legs. Wings embracing upper surface of abdomen. 



III. Six legs. Wings inclined backward. 



IV. Four legs. Fore legs hanging like a tippet [= Nymphalidae excl. some Satyrinae] . 

 V. Four legs. Fore legs very small and short [= some Satyrinae], 



In the year 1775 appeared a very remarkable anonymous Avork on tlie 

 Lepidoptera of the vicinity of Vienna (Systematisches verzeichniss der 

 schmetterlinge der Wienergegend) in which the character of the larvae 

 formed the basis of the classification. Instead of recognizing the authors, 

 Messrs. Denis and SchiiFermuller, it is generally known as the Vienna 

 Catalogue. This is the division proposed therein : — 



A. Larvae tortriciformes [Hesperidae] . I. Larvae acutospinosae [Vanessidi]. 



B. " bombyciformes [Doritis] . K. " collospinosae [Argynnidi] . 

 (J, *' Aariegatae [Papilionidi]. L. " pseudo.spinosae [Melitaeidi]. 



D. •' mediostriatae [Pieridi], 



E. " pallidiventres[Rhodoceridi]. Onisciformes. 



F. " subfuscae [Satyrinae]. ^i- "' oljlongoscutatae [Chrysophanidi]. 



G. •' cornutae [Apaturidi]. N. •' gibbososcutatae [Lyeaenidi]. 

 H. " subspinosae [Nymphalidi] . O. " depressoscutatae [Theclidi]. 



An examination of this scheme (to the members of which modern names 

 are attached in brackets) will show that nearly all the principle groups of 

 butterflies found in Europe are recognized in it and most of them for the 

 first time. With the exception of the position of the onisciform caterpillars 

 the general order is almost faultless. Had subsequent authors paid as 

 much attention as these writers to the characters presented by the earlier 

 stages our knowledge of their natural relations would have made better 

 progress. 



Scopoli in 1777 divided the species catalogued by Linne in the tenth 

 edition of the Systema naturae into six genera, all them heterogeneous, 

 being founded wholly on superficial characters, in which he certainly had 



