TlIK NAMES OF r.l'l'TKKKl.IKS. 785 



Tills goiuis ot' iiiik(.Hl-i'yi.'d LiiuoiiiiiKR' is almost jicculiar to North 

 America and tlic only one yet known to occur in the eastern United States 

 north of Florida. Its home is in ncntli tropical continental America 

 where not a tew species are found : it extends, however, into the warmer 

 parts of the temperate zone and three or four sjvecies are found in the 

 southern halt' of the I'nited States ; one ol' tlicni lias long been known in 

 the Carolinian reirion, two or more are fomid in the arid jiarts of the 

 west, and onceovers a wide, though as yet unknown, extent of the coun- 

 try and has been foinul on a few occasions in our northern states. The 

 northern species has not yet been found within the limits of New Eng- 

 hmd, althouijh first discovered not far from its boundaries. It ])robably 

 ranges to Hrazil. 



The butterflies of this group comprise some of tiic smaller Lcmoniinae ; 

 the wings are rather regularly rt)uiided and of a dull dark red, darker 

 above than beneath, traversed by slender, parallel, arcuate series of short 

 blackish dashes ; a marginal plumbeous or steel colored stripe, a similar 

 but tortuous one in the middle of the cuter half of the wint;- and between 

 these two a series of blackish dt)ts. The only recollection I have of their 

 flight as seen in my boyhood is that they did not rise more than a foot or 

 two above the ground. 



Their transformations are altogether unknown. 



EXCURSUS XXV.— THE NAMES OF BUTTERFLIES. 



Vous-ini-ines dans ces lieux vous serez appelfs, 

 Vous, le deriik-r degrt de cette grande fichelle, 

 Vous, insectcs sans iiombre, on volants ou sans aile, 

 Qui ranipez dans les champs, sueez les arl)risseaux, 

 Touil)illonnez daus les air, ou jouez snr les eaux 



LA je place le ver, la nvmpbe, la clienille; 

 Son lils, beau parvenu, honteux de sa faniille 

 L'iusecte de tout rang et de toutes coulcurs, 

 L'habitant de la fange. et les bfltcs des fleurs. 



Dklu-lk. — L'Hommc Oes Champs. 



WiLEN in the preparation of the present work I found myself com- 

 pelled by my study of the fauna to make use of a scientific terminology 

 very different from that then in ordinary use, it seemed as if it might 

 be desirable that at least our commoner species shoidd have English names, 

 which might in time become settled and then endure through all possible 

 variations of scientific terminology. I noticed that in all the jjopu- 

 lar British works upon butterflies, an English name was almost invariably 

 given, and that the names adopted by difi'ereut authors did not always agree. 

 It appeared, therefore, to be probal)le that many of them were manu- 

 factured for the occasion. Some were extremely pretty, others appeared 

 forced. I noticed, further, that for the similar convenience of agriculturists 



