ORDER IV.—MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. 199 
the minds of all, both young and old. For this reason, if 
for no other, would we acknowledge our indebtedness to the 
great Linnzeus, and endeavor, as far as possible, to preserve 
his scholarly fancies. 
According to his arrangement the butterflies are divided 
into five different families, which contain : 
1. Kniguts, with prolonged hind wings, resembling the tail of 
swallows. ; 
2. HELICoNIANS, with narrow, oblong fore wings, and short hind 
wings. 
8.. Danaib#&, with round wings. « 
4, NYMPHALID&, with denticulated wings. 
5. PLEBEIANS, comprising all other small butterflies. 
The system of Linnzus, however, has undergone so - 
many changes by different entomologists in France, Ger- 
many, and England, that it would be only fatiguing to enu- 
merate and explain all these divisions, even if our limits 
would allow it. We must, therefore, for the present, rest 
satisfied with a brief notice of a few of the most conspicuous 
species of butterflies that abound in North America, par- 
ticularly those common in the United States. 
One of these is the PutLtopice (Colas philodice), Fig. 47. 
It is found abundantly during the whole summer, sucking 
the juices of flowers, 
particularly the thistles, 
or sitting on the surface 
of mud-puddles, and in 
every part of the Un- 
ion, Mexico, and the An- 
tilles. Its caterpillar is 
green, and is principal- 
ly found on clover. 
The whole genus Co- 
lias is easily distinguished, being always of a more or less 
bright-yellow color, with spots, on a black border on the 
Figure 47. 

The Philodice. 
