PIERID.E. 25 



to deep yellow and orange. They are very pretty, graceful 

 Butterflies, with a tolerably swift, irregular flight. They 

 seldom rise to any height, and settle very frequently on 

 flowers. There is generally a considerable difference in 

 colour or marking between the male and female in this Family, 

 and in some species it is very remarkable. The habits of the 

 species of this division are often gregarious or pseudo-gre- 

 garious, as considerable numbers of one kind are often found 

 about some favourite spot, or attractive flowers ; and little 

 clusters of some species of " Whites " may frequently be 

 seen congregated on the damp mud at the margin of pools or 

 brooks. Eight of the numerous Genera are known to be 

 represented in South Africa viz. : Pontia, Pieris, Antho- 

 charis, Idmais, Eronia, Callidryas, Colias, and Terias, com- 

 prising forty-one species. Pieris and Anthocharis are the best 

 represented in South Africa, the former being known to con- 

 tain thirteen, the latter fourteen, Species. Pontia may be 

 known by its very delicate structure, elongate wings, and 

 semi-transparent whiteness ; Pieris by its greenish or yellow- 

 ish-white colour, with black spots and margins ; and Antho- 

 charis by the bright patch of violet, crimson, red, or orange, 

 at the tips of the fore-wings. Colias and Terias are both 

 noticeable for lighter or darker shades of yellow, with black 

 borders to the wings, but the latter is far more fragile in 

 structure than the former. 



Genus PONTIA. 



Pontia, Fab., &c. 

 Pieris, Godt. 

 Leucophasia, JBoisd. 



IMAGO. Head rather small ; eyes large, prominent ; palpi 

 short, hairy, only slightly projecting beyond forehead ; 

 antennce moderately long, slender, with an elongate, laterally- 

 compressed club. Thorax small, short, very narrow. Wings 

 large, broad. Fore-wings with costa much arched ; apex 

 rounded ; hind-margin convex, entire ; anal angle scarcely 

 rounded ; inner-margin almost straight ; discoidal cell closed, 

 terminating beyond middle. Hind-wings much rounded ; 

 costa straighter than in fore-wings ; hind-margin and inner- 

 margin more convex, discoidal cell closed, terminating about 

 middle. Legs of moderate length, slender. Abdomen elon- 

 gate, very slender, much flattened on the sides, not reaching 

 anal angle of hind-wings. 



A single species is found in South Africa. It is one of 

 the most elegant and fragile of Butterflies. 



