other families, or even to motlis, and the three latter of which present 

 the anomaly of completely articulated and clawed fore-tarsi in the 

 male. This latter character decidedly indicates aflinity with the sub- 

 family Picrince of the Papilionidce ; and a farther minor feature of 

 resemblance is found in the reduced or obsolete spurs of the tibite. 



The great mass of the Lycaniidm consists of small butterflies, and 

 it is rare to find any that approach the middle size. In this respect 

 they resemble the Erycinidce, but the range of size is somewliat more 

 extended, the smallest members of the genus Lycccna being barely half 

 an inch across the expanded fore-wings, while the giant of the family, 

 Liphyra Brassolis, Westw., reaches 3;^ inches. Some of the larger 

 species of Phytala, Epitola, Thccla, and Amtlypodia, however, reach or 

 slightly exceed an expanse of 2^ inches; but a very large majority of 

 Lyccenidce ranges between i inch and if inches. What these butter- 

 flies want in stature is more than compensated by their great beauty ; 

 very few of them are of dull colouring (except a good many of the 

 females), and such as are so on one surface of the wings are very often 

 of great splendour on the other. Intense and very generally highly- 

 metallic uniform tints of purple, violet, blue, green, red, or orange 

 prevail on the upper side, — the males, as usual, almost always much 

 exceeding the females in brilliancy ; and the less dazzling but infinitely 

 varied colouring and elaborate patterns of the under side (of close 

 agreement in the sexes of each species), are often rendered still more 

 effective by glittering golden, silvery, or steely spots. No other 

 family of butterflies exhibits such a striking and varied development 

 of the appendages or " tails " borne on the hind-margin of the hind- 

 wings, varying in number from one to three, and in length from a mere 

 dentation to more than an inch, and often curiously widened, fringed, 

 and twisted. In connection with these appendages, it may be noted 

 that all, or nearly all, the Lyccenidce (as mentioned above in the general 

 remarks on Ehopalocera, under the heading, " 5. Haunts and Habits"), 

 when settled temporarily, have the custom of moving the hind-wings 

 alternately up and down, so that their upper surfaces rub against 

 each other, — a movement which the " tails," as well as the usual 

 metallic-dotted eye- like spots on the hind-margin, render additionally 

 noticeable. 



The Ethiopian Region has not hitherto yielded a very large number 

 of species, only rather under 200 being recorded, but it is rich in 

 genera, 22 of the 47 recognised by most authors being known to 

 occur. Of these 22 genera, no less than 14 (or 13, if, as I think 

 most probable, Hewiisonia, Kirby ( = Corydon, Boisd.), is not separable 

 from Epitola, Westw.) are limited to Africa, viz., Ccqjys, Chrysorycliia, 

 Pentila, Liptena, D'TIrlania, Alcena, Phytcda, Epitola, Deloncura, 

 Pseuderesia, Mimacrcea, Arrugia, and Laclinocncma. Those peculiar to 

 Tropical Africa are Phytcda, Epitola, Liptcna, Pseuderesia, and 3Iimac7'cca . 



Southern Africa appears to be comparatively richer than the tropical 



