94 INVERTEBRATE ANIMALS. 



the colour patterDS and the very peculiar outlines of the 

 insects in this group. 



Upper Compartment. 



Specimen of S. Carolina, with extended proboscis. 



Division RHOPALOCERA. poTraXov, a club; >cspuc, a horn. 

 This division includes all the Butterflies, properly so 

 called. 



Group 211.— Family HESPERID.E. Skippers. A rustic 

 type of form and colouring characterises the insects of 

 this group from all parts of the world. Estimated 

 number of species : British, 7 ; exotic, 650, 



Group 212.— Families ERYCINID^, Humming-bird But- 

 terflies ; and LYC^NID^, Coppers, Blues, Hair- 

 streaks. The Erycinidce are chiefly from Tropical 

 America : amongst them are counterparts in miniature 

 of most of the chief types amongst the Butterflies. Do 

 these insects appreciate their own beauty ? It is a 

 beauty distinguished not less by its superlative richness 

 and variety than by the absence of all incongruous 

 embellishments. Hel'icopis Cupido is to an eye 

 aesthetically trained, what a scherzo of Beethoven's is 

 to a musical ear. In approaching the question how 

 such a result has been produced through evolution, the 

 present case differs not in kbid from that of any other 

 living thing ; but the difficulties associated with the 

 hypothesis of evolution, when regarded as working only 

 by means of natural selection, are in such an instance 

 as this conspicuously displayed. 

 Estimated number of species : British, 19 ; exotic, 750. 



Group 213.— Family SATYRID.E and allies. Meadow-russet 

 Butterflies. Note the transparent wings with one azure 



