146 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



the sale of the late Mr. Haworth's collection of insects, in 

 1834, it was bought by a Dr. Aslibiirion, whose collection 

 was sold a few years afterwards, and then purchased by 

 myself. The specimen is in beautiful preservation, and 

 almost as fresh as when first captured. 



" Loaucla," Bevilali Hill, Upper Norwood, 

 May, 1877. 



INTRODUCTORY PAPERS ON LEPIDOPTERA. 

 By W. F. KiRBY. 



II.— LOCALITIES OF LEPIDOPTERA. 



The study of geographical distribution has recently 

 become so important that some knowledge of the divisions 

 of the world generally accepted by naturalists is indis- 

 pensable to every one who wishes to form a clear idea of 

 the relations of the natural productions of an}' country to 

 those of another. Most naturalists now follow Dr. Sclater in 

 dividing the world into six great regions of distribution ; 

 and Wallace, in his recent work on the geographical distri- 

 bution of animals, has subdivided each of these into four. 

 Although these subdivisions are frequently natural, the 

 limits of others and their true relations to each other are 

 still much disputed. But we will lake the main regions 

 separately, in the following order: Palaarctic, Ethiopian, 

 Indian, Australian, Nearctic, and Neotropical, enumerating 

 Wallace's subregions, and adding such remarks as are likely 

 to be most interesting to Lepidopterists. Those who desire 

 further information will find Wallace's work well worth their 

 careful study. 



I. PALiEARCTic Region. — Under this heading we include 

 the whole of Asia-Europe (excej^t the south-east of Asia) ; 

 Northern Arabia; and North Africa as far as the Sahara. 

 This region, though poor in species, especially as compared 

 with its extent, is one of the most interesting, partly because 

 its productions are better known than those of other regions, 

 and partly on account of the numerous and important 

 problems connected with their distribution. It is now 

 believed that the bulk of the original fauna of the Old World 

 originated in the north, from whence it was swept south of 



