14 INTRODUCTION. 



Thus a species, say vtargarita of Eupla'a, belonging to the group which has been discri- 

 minated as Salpinx, is entered as Euplxa (Salpinx) margarita, and such species as exprompta, 

 nicobarica, and vulgaris, which are all conjectured on very fair grounds to be merely local or 

 geographical varieties of Danais similis (of China) are entered as Danais exprompta, Danais 

 nicobarica, &c., but grouped together in consecutive order with their apparent affinities 

 indicated. 



The great importance of a correct record of exact localities cannot be too strongly insisted 

 on. The v.igue localities used by the earlier writers, such as " East Indies," which may mean 

 any portion of India, Malayana or the Malay Archipelago ; or " North India," which 

 may mean anything from the snows of Kashmir to the hot, moist, forests of Assam and 

 Eastern Bengal, are useless for scientific purposes, and should be scrupulously avoided. Such 

 localities have necessarily often been quoted in this book, for in some cases the Butterflies have 

 not been captured since the original description was published, so that the exact localities of 

 capture are still unknown. It is difficult to record on labels any full details, but in addition to 

 the actual locality, the name of the province, and, if in a mountainous district, the approximate 

 elevation above the sea, should invariably be noted. The date of capture too is a most valuable 

 record, not only for information of future collectors in quest of the insect, but as a clue to 

 whether the insect belongs to a spring, summer, or autumn brood. Doubtful localities, such as 

 *' Darjeeling," for a hwiiax^y purchased z.^. Darjeeling, should be always carefully distinguished 

 from the accurate records of places of capture. The necessity for care in this matter will 

 be understood when it is considered how the Indian Empire is situated. There is a fairly typical 

 "Indian " fauna, as represented by the central portions of Continental India andthe Peninsula, 

 but on the West Coast, stragglers from the African and South Palrearctic fauna may be found. 

 In the North West, and also in the higher ranges of the Himalayas, the Eastern Pa'rearctic 

 forms occur ; on the east the Indo-Malayan fauna is largely represented, and many of the 

 typical Malayan forms occur ; and it is of great importance to ascertain, as accurately as 

 possible, the extreme ranges to which the various types extend. 



COLLECTING AND PRESERVING. 



To start with, a net is the first essential required. In England apparatus for collecting is 

 to be obtained at any of the established Naturalist's shops ; in India one has to depend 

 a good deal on one's own ingenuity to supply one's wants in this respect. The main point to 

 aim at is lightness, so far as is compatible with rigidity, of the frame and handle, on whicii 

 the handiness of the net largely depends. Probably, the simplest form of net is somewhat oval 

 in shape, and made of three joints, which can be riveted together or not at the discretion of the 

 user. For this kind of net all that is requireil is to have made by any bazar blacksmith a brass 

 Y and two ferules. The Y should be made of three tubes, the lower one somewhat larger and 

 longer than the other two that form the branches. In the lower one a strong, rigid. 

 stick is fittetl, and for general collecting the stick should not be less than five or six feet in 

 length, though for collecting small " Blues," &c., a' shoiter stick will be found much more 

 handy. Again, for taking insects that fly high and settle on the upper branches of trees^ a pole, 

 20 or 30 feet in length, may be required. The framework of the net should be in three pieces ; 

 the two side pieces (fitting at their bottom ends into the two upper branches of the Y) should 

 be of very tough rigid wood. On their further ends the two ferules are fixed, one end of 

 each being fastened with a rivet, so precluding any chance of the feiule falling off and getting lost. 

 The top of the net may be made of a piece of rattan cane. The circumference of the net when 

 fitted together should again depend upon circumtances. One fifty inches round is a good sized 

 general net, but will be found much too small, unless very skilfully used, to catch the large, fast- 

 flying Fapilios, &c. Probably a net 70 to 80 inches round will be found the most 

 generally useful, particularly in rich localities, where the larger insects abound. Nothin<T is 

 more annoying than to lose a large, fine insect, which may be very rare, because one's net is an 

 inch or so too narrow 1 For a small pocket net one made with the joints folding like the old 

 fashioned parasol, the handle of which doubles up in the middle, will be found very useful. 



