PPvEFAlCE. 



For many years I have had in contemplation the publishing of 

 a reliable list of the Australian Butterflies known to science, 

 embracing the full synonymy of and refereiice to each species, 

 and have been steadily accumulating the material necessary to the 

 fulfilment of this object. Want of time, however, but more espe- 

 cially the diJficulty of reference to the mass of literature requiring 

 to be consulted, through the former paucity of entomological works 

 in the colonies (a want that has, however, of more recent yeai-s 

 been gradually surmounted by the very considerable development of 

 the various local museum scientific libraries), has hitherto proved a 

 bar to my intention. 



I now feel that I may with confidence make available to fellow- 

 workers in this branch of zoology the benefit of over twenty years' 

 study of the subject in Queensland and of some experience in other 

 of the colonies, and supply a want that I am sure has been felt. 



The only attempt of the kind is the catalogue published some 

 years since by Mr. Geo. Masters, then of the Australian Museum, 

 Sydney, and this was far from being a complete wairk upon the 

 subject. 



It is now thirteen years since the admirable work of Mr. W. F. 

 Kirby was completed by the publication of his " Supplement to the 

 Synonymic Catalogue of the Diurnal Lepidoptera of the World" ; 

 and since then many new species have been described, and K.any 

 others identified as Australian, not before known to occur in this 

 country ; it is fully time, therefore, that our known species should 

 be brought up to date, and the work of more recent authors added 

 to that of those already catalogued, and the embodiment of the 

 species of so well defined a region as the Australian continent 

 secured in one list. 



I only regret that it is out of my power at the present time to 

 extend my present publication to a full descriptive work on the 

 subject, and make use of the mass of observations that has accumu- 

 lated in my notebooks upon the life-history of many of the species. 

 This must, however, stand over for a future time. 



It is, I suppose, incumbent upon me to offer some remark upon 

 the reason that induces me to adhere to the older arrangement in 

 position of the families, in preference to that adopted by almost 



