154 



Lloyd's natural history. 



But the principal American genus allied to Limenitis is 

 Adelpha, Hiibner. The species are very numerous through- 

 out Tropical America, and one or two species extend as far 

 north as California. A special historical interest attaches to the 

 genus, as it was these species which first turned the attention of 

 the late Mr. Hewitson to the study of Exotic Butterflies. He 

 was at first, in the days of Curtis and Stephens, a diligent 

 collector and observer of British insects of all Orders, and was 

 likewise a well-known ornithologist, giving special attention to 

 oology. But the time came when he discovered, as he says, 

 in one of his own works, that a Butterfly might be beautiful, 

 even if it was not a British species; and he became thoroughly 

 fascinated with the study, disposed of all his other collections, 

 and devoted the rest of his life to the formation and illustra- 

 tion of his great collection of exotic Butterflies, now in the 

 British Museum. In its day, this collection had no rival, 

 except the collections of Boisduval and "Wilson Saunders. 



As Mr. Hewitson used to relate to his friends, he was one 

 day at Stevens' auction rooms, when he was attracted by a 

 box containing several different species of Adelpha (Hiibn.), 

 or, as the genus used to be called, Heterochroa (Boisd.), all much 

 alike and yet all obviously distinct. This seemed to him a 

 remarkable fact at that time, and he bought the lot. As he 

 turned round he saw Professor Westwood, who said to him, 

 "What! Are you buying Butterflies?" "Yes, I am," he 

 answered ; and this incident turned the whole current of his 



life. 



When this happened, we do not exactly know, for though 

 Hewitson's first papers on Exotic Butterflies were on the genus 

 Heterochroa, they were only published in the "Annals and 

 Magazine of Natural History " in 1847; whereas, in the pre- 

 vious year, Edward Doubleday had commenced his great work 

 on the " Genera of Diurnal Lepidoptera," which was completed 



