The Classification of Butterflies 



which in adult plumage have a snow-white head and neck and a 

 white tail, constitute a species, which we know as the " white- 

 headed " or " bald-headed " eagle. Species may then be grouped 

 together, and those which are manifestly closely related to one an- 

 other are regarded as forming a natural assemblage of species, to 

 which we give the name of a genus. For example, all the large 

 cats, such as the lion, the tiger, the puma, and the jaguar, are 

 grouped together by naturalists, and form a genus to which is 

 given the Latin name Felis, meaning cat. The name of the ge- 

 nus always comes before that of the species. Thus the tiger is 

 spoken of scientifically as Felis tigris. The genera which are 

 closely related to one another may again be assembled as sub- 

 families; and the subfamilies may be united to form families. 

 For instance, all the various genera of cats form a family, which 

 is known as the Felidce, or the Cat Family. A group of families 

 constitutes a suborder or an order. The cats belong to the Car- 

 nivora, or order of flesh-eating animals. 



In zoology family names are formed with the termination 

 -ida^, and subfamily names with the termination -i}ia\ 



Everything just said in regard to the classification of the higher 

 animals applies likewise to butterflies. Let us take as an illus- 

 tration the common milkweed butterfly. Linnaeus for a fanci- 

 ful reason gave this insect the name Plexippiis. This is its 

 specific name, by which it is distinguished from all other butter- 

 flies. It belongs to the genus Anosia. The genus Auosia is one 

 of the genera which make up the subfamily of the Eiiplceiiia'. 

 The EiiploeincB belong to the great family of the Nymphalidce. 

 The Nympbalidce are a part of the suborder of the Rbopalocera, 

 or true butterflies, one of the two great subdivisions of the order 

 Lepidoptera, belonging to the great class Insecta, the highest class 

 in the subkingdom of the Artbropoda. The matter may be rep- 

 resented in a tabular form, in the reverse order fiom that which 

 has been given: 



Subkingdom, Arthropcda. 

 Class, Insecta. 



Order, Lepidoptera. 



Suborder, Rbopalocera. 

 Family, Nymphalidct. 



Subfamily, Eiiploeince 

 Genus, Auosia. 



Species, Plexippus (IVIilkweed Butterfly). 



63 



