INTRODUCTION. 



The Hesperiid/e, or Skippers. 



As stated in the Preface to our second volume, it liad been 

 intended to include the Ilesperiidce therein, and thus to com- 

 I)lete our account of the Butterflies in two volumes ; but our 

 account of the preceding Families extended to a greater length 

 than was expected, and it was finally decided to commence the 

 third volume oi Lepidoptera with them. It is, however, admitted 

 that the Hcsperiidce approach nearer to the true >roths than to 

 the true Butterflies; for while there are several transitional 

 forms between the IJespcriidie and the Moths, no such forms 

 between the Hesperiidce and the true Butterflies are known to 

 exist. Hence, although the division of the Order Lepidoptera 

 into the two great groups of Rlwpalosera^ or Butterflies, and 

 Hetcrocerci^ or Moths, is more or less artificial, it is rendered 

 more so by the inclusion of the Jfcsperiid r \\\ the former 

 group ; and I have always considered that if the distinction was 

 worth retaining at all, except as a mere matter of convenience, 

 the line of demarcation should be drawn before, instead of 

 after, the Hcsperiidic. This Family was actually included by 

 Duncan in his "British Moths," in Jardine's "Naturalist's Lib- 

 rary," and was passed over altogether in the volumes on Exotic 

 Lepidopfcra. Two modern authors. Zebra wski and Mcyrick, 

 have proposed systems of classification, in which the Butter- 



