41G ERYCINIDJi. 



This caterpillar is that of Stalachtis Euterpe, and as figured by Stoll is of a pale green colour, with the head reddish ; the eight 

 seo-raents of the body, after the hindmost of tliose which bear the true legs, are furnished on each side witli a long fleshy obtuse spine- 

 like appendage ; whilst that of Stalachtis Calliope, also observed by Stoll, has a shorter body, of a reddish yellow colour, with a black 

 head, and a "velvety black spot behind the head, and with a row of black spitts down the back ; the sides of the body are armed with 

 black hairs, and the chrysalis is pale greenish, with several rows of black dots; the head is obtuse, and the body is slightly setose. 



The ErycinidK as proposed by Swainson {Nat. Hist. Insects in Lardncrs Cab. Ci/cl. p. 94.) comprises not only the present family, but 

 also the following, Lycajnidai. There appears to me, however, sufficient distinction between these two families to warranty tlieir 

 separation. The'^Lyca^nida;, in fact, are powerful in their flight, whilst, to judge from the general structure of many of the Erycinid;c, 

 we should be led to suppose that their flight was slow and irregular, like that of the GeometridiC. The very minute palpi, and the 

 minute brush-like feet of the males, will also at once distinguish most of the Erycinida3 from the Lycasnida; ; and the_ caterpillars, 

 although short, are not onisciform. and are more or less setose. Dr. Horsfield, on the other hand, has united the Erycinidie with the 

 Hesperiidaj to form his Anopluriforra stirps of butterflies. He even considers Erycina, Emesis, Lemonias, and Eurybia amongst the 

 typical genera ; and Nymphidium, Helicopis, and Barbicornis as aberrant genera. This arrangement does not appear to me at all 

 ratural,''as I can perceive scarcely any real affinity between Erycina and Hesperia. Even in respect to their metamorphoses, upon 

 which Dr. Horsfield has chiefiy relied for their supposed affinity, there seems to me to be equally strong reasons for separating these two 

 frroups ; whilst the brush-like structure of the fore legs of the male indicates (notwithstanding the girt of the chrysalis) a certam 

 affinity with the preceding families, which must be overlooked if we unite Erycina with Hesperia, or even bring them mto contact. 

 How far an arrangement of the famUies of butterflies, conunencing with the Lyca;nida;, followed by the Papdionida;, \yould remedy 

 this apparent contradiction, cannot here be discussed. It seems to me, however, that any arrangement which would widely separate 

 the Erycinidai from the Lyc«nid;e would not be a natural one. 



About one hundred and fifty species of this family are described in the Encych]wdic Metliodhiue, as well as many others by 

 Fabricius. We are acquainted, however, with more than twice that number, great additions having been made by the researches of 

 Messrs. Bates and Wallace in South America; the British Museum alone possessing more than two hundred and fifty species. The 

 figures of many of the species given by Cramer, and the descriptions of others by Fabricius, are not sufficiently precise,^ in the^ absence 

 ot^iudividuals of such species, to allow of the insects being referred with precision to the modern genera described m the following 



pages. In many instances I have, therefore, been compelled to rely upon analogy in the colouring and markings of the species ; 

 wiU, doubtless, be found in the end that some of such species have been misplaced, although after the pains which I have t: 

 appropriate them, I trust that no violent inaccuracy of this kind will occur. 



and it 

 iken to 



Gnus I EUUYBIA. 

 I^^URYBIA lUigcv, God'., IliibJier, E. Douhleday. 



Body moderate-sized, elongate : wings maculated, the fore ones generally ^vith a small black spot near tlio extremity 



of the discoidal cell on both surfaces ; the markings alike in Loth sexes. 

 Head rather broad, clothed with very short hairs. 



Eyes large, naked. ^ , ^ . i i 



Antennce long, being nearly as long as the body, and two thirds of the length of the fore wings, slender ; joints 

 short, especially at the base, annulated with white at the tips ; terminated by a short slender club, slightly 

 incurved at the tip, channeled on the inside, and rather pointed at the tip. 

 Labial Palpi very small, much compressed, the hinder edge applied to the face, thickly clothed with scales ; the 

 tip elevated to about the level of the middle of the eye, and porrected only to so short a distance that the 

 palpus is scarcely seen from above : the basal joint is very much curved ; the second joint straighter, not quite 

 three times the length of the basal joint ; terminal joint extremely small, oval, concealed among the terminal 

 scales of the preceding joint. 

 Thorax oval, clothed with short hairs, except at the ends of the tippets behind, where they are much longer. 



Fore Wings large. Costal margin strongly arched. Apex produced into an obtuse point in E. Carolina, but 

 rounded in the majority of the species. ' Disc generally marked with a circular black or blue spot towards the 

 extremity of the discoidal cell. Apical margin slightly convex, entire, two thirds of the length of the costal. 

 Inner margin nearly straight, about equal in length to the apical. Costal vein reaching to the middle of the 

 costa. Postcostal with four simple free branches ; the first and second arising near together, a little before the 

 anterior extremity of the discoidal cell; third and fourth branches arising beyond the cell, at about the same 

 distance apart as occurs between the extremity of the cell and the third branch, the space between the fourth 

 branch and the apex of the wing being still longer. Upper disco-cellular vein obsolete; middle and lower ones 

 of about equal length, slender, forming a transverse arch ; upper discoidal vein arising simultaneously witli the 

 middle disco-cellular a little beyond the middle of the wing ; the extremity of the lower disco-cellular uniting 

 with the third branch of the median vein at a little distance beyond its origin ; the space between the first and 

 second branches of the median vein considerably elongated. 



