Section IV., 1885. [ 85 ] Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada. 



v.— Catalogue of Canadian BuUerJJicfi, wiili Notes on their Disirihidion . 



By WiLTJAM Saunders, London, (hit. 



(Presented May 27, 1885.) 



The butterflies of a country are among the first insects which attract the attention 

 of observers of nature. Being made to adorn the day, they present the most beautiful 

 and attractive combinations of colors ; they are found everywhere, from the extreme 

 south to the distant north, and, being lovers of summer light and sunshine, are seen 

 in greater abundance at those periods in the year when nature presents herself in most 

 alluring form. Hence, in the records of the natural history of any country, we usually 

 find early reference to its butterflies. 



Amid the hardships and laborious occupations attending pioneer life in Canada, it is 

 not surprising that the beauties of these frail denizens of the woods and fields were long 

 unheeded. But M'ith more leisure, came higher culture and greater refinement, the love 

 of the beautiful both in nature and art increased, and observers were multiplied. 

 Tljere was, however, but little inducement to record observations to any material extent, 

 until some opportunity of publishing them was afforded. This was not long wanting. 

 In 1856, appeared the first number of the Canadian Naturalist and Geologist, the organ of 

 the Natural History Society of Montreal, and although its first volume did not contain 

 much relating to entomology, yet it served a good purpose, by encouraging those who had 

 begun the study, and stimulating others to join the ranks. 



In IBST, Kirby's " Fauna Boreali- American a Insecta " appeared, a cjuarto volume, 

 containing a large number of descriptions of insects captured during a journey from New 

 York to Cumberland House. In this work, references occur to twenty species of butter- 

 flies, most of which were taken within the British possessions. 



In 1840, there was published a popular work on Canadian natural history, under the 

 title of " The Canadian Naturalist." It was a small octavo volume, written by Philip 

 H. Gosse, since well known from his writings in natural history, who had for several 

 years prior to this date resided in the village of Compton, in the Province of Quebec. This 

 book consists of a series of conversations on the natural history of Lower Canada, in 

 which are recorded observations made on twenty-six species of butterflies found in that 

 Province. 



The next record appeared in 1857, and was from the pen of Wm. Stewart D'Urban, 

 who at that time resided in Montreal. He published several descriptive articles on Can- 

 adian butterflies, in the second volume of the Canadian Naturalist and Geologist, in which 

 ten species in all were described. In these pajiers he endeavored to awaken an interest in 

 the subject by describing and figuring some of the most beautiful of our common butter- 

 flies. In 1859, Mr. D'Urban removed to England, and in April, 1860, published, in the 



