INVERTEBKATE ANIMALS. 93 



Group 211— Family HESPERID^. 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.— Famines ERYCINID^, Humming-bird But- 

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

 streaks. The Eryc'inidce 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. Such an insect as Helicopis Cupido 

 is to an eye not aesthetically trained, what a scherzo of 

 Beethoven's is to an unmusical ear. In approaching 

 the question how such a result has been produced 

 through evolution, the present case differs not in kind 

 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^ and allies. Meadow-russet 

 Butterflies. Note the transparent wings with one azure 

 spot in Hcetera Esmeralda. Estimated number of spe- 

 cies : British, 11 ; exotic, 450. 



Group 214.— Family MORPHID^ and alHes. Glory of Brazil 



Butterflies. The typical kinds are all found in Tropical 

 America : some species frequent open places in forests, 

 flying with a slow flapping motion over the tops of the 

 low herbage : others sail majestically round the tops of 

 trees and are difficult to capture. Observe the resplen- 



