PREFACE. 



''l^HE present work is designed to illustrate some of the rarer and more 

 l)eautifnl new species of butterflies which are continually being sent to 

 Europe from all parts of the world I)y travellers and missionaries, as well 

 as by professional collectors, and it may be regarded as sui)plementary to the 

 late Mr. Hewitson's "Exotic Butterflies," and "Illustrations of Diurnal 

 Lepidoptera." The materials for those Pultlications were chiefly derived from 

 the Collections of Mr. Hewitson and of Mr. Wilson Saunders, Mr. Hewitson's 

 Collection of Butterflies being now in the Natural History Museum at South 

 Kensington, and that of Mr. Wilson Saunders having passed into the possession 

 of Mr. H. Grose Smith, on the dispersal of Mr. Wilson Saunders' extensive 

 Collections of all Orders of Insects. 



The Insects flgured and descri])ed in this volume are chiefly selected from 

 the Collection of Mr. Grose Smith, and with very few exceptions have not l)e('n 

 previously figured ; there is reason for anticipating that a sufficient supj)ly of 

 new Species will continue to be received l)y Mr. Grose Smith to allow of the 

 work being carried on for several more volumes. 



Special attention has been given to some groups of African Lijivpnidrp, 

 which have been comparatively neglected by previous authors. No doul)t many 

 new species of these and allied groups yet remain to be discovered. 



The Plates comprised in the first portion of this Volume were drawn by 

 Mrs. Monteiro, and we regret that she was compelled by the failure of her 

 health to relinquish the task, which has since been continued by ]Miss Horman 

 Fisher. 



The greatest care will continue to be used, with the ol)ject of ensuring the 

 accuracy of the Figures and l)escri})tions in the forthcoming Parts of this 

 work, and it is trusted that they will be fully rqual to the th'st volume both in 

 interest and execution. 



H. GEOSE SMITH, 

 W. F. KIRBY. 



London, 

 A2Jril, 189:^. 



