INTRODUCTION. lix 



Eastern Asia a great many characteristic Indian forms extend 

 as far as Japan, and, to a lesser extent, to the Amoor Region. 

 The mountainous regions of Central Asia are remarkable for 

 the number and beauty of the species of Parnassiits and Colias 

 which they produce. Erebia is equally well represented in 

 Europe and Asia. A few Palaearctic forms invade the adjacent 

 provinces ; thus Colias electra, the African representative of our 

 common C. liyale, Linn.(= C. edusa, Fabr.), is met with through- 

 out Eastern Africa to as far as the Cape ; and the Butterflies 

 of the South American countries between the Andes and the 

 sea have a strong resemblance to European species, even as far 

 south as Chili and Patagonia. North America is remarkable for 

 the number and variety of the species of Argynnis which it pro- 

 duces ; and the finest species of the circumpolar genus CEneis, 

 which otherwise is rather more of an Arctic than an Alpine 

 genus, are found in California and the Rocky Mountains. 

 The genera Colias and Polygonia are also specially well repre- 

 sented in North America. The greatest variety of species in 

 the United States are found in the Western and Southern 

 States. 



II. ETHIOPIAN REGION. 



There are two well-marked divisions in Continental Africa, 

 south of the Sahara : the West Coast Fauna and the East 

 Coast Fauna. The West Coast fauna is by far the richest, 

 and extends eastwards, to the head-waters of the Nile, collec- 

 tions from the Bahr-el-Ghazal showing but little difference from 

 collections made at Sierra Leone, or the Cameroons. On the 

 other hand, there is much general sameness between Butter- 

 flies from Abyssinia, the Lake Region, Zanzibar, and Natal ; 

 while many species occurring near the east coast are closely 

 allied to, though generally distinct from, those of Madagascar. 



There is considerable resemblance, too, between the Butter- 

 flies of Africa and India ; but the number of genera peculiar, 



