58 STRUCTURE OF THE LEPIDOPTERA 



2. Pieridce. Containing ten species. These are often known 

 collectively as the ' Whites,' but include four butterflies that are 

 distinguished by beautiful shades of yellow and orange. 



3. Nymp~halidce. This family contains seventeen insects, 

 among them being several splendid species. It includes the 

 Fritillaries and Vanessas. 



4. Apaturidce.Ot this we have only one representative the 

 Purple Emperor (Plate V, fig. 1). 



5. Satyridce. Including the ' Browns ' and ' Heaths,' and 

 numbering eleven species. 



6. Lyccenidce. Including the Hairstreaks, ' Coppers,' and 

 * Blues,' in all seventeen species. 



7. Erycinidce. Containing only the ' Duke of Burgundy.' 



8. Hesperiidce. This family contains seven British butterflies 

 commonly known as the ' Skippers.' 



Although all the members of the same family resemble each other 

 in certain points of structure, or in their habits, yet we can often find 

 among them a smaller group differing from all the others in one or 

 two minor particulars. Such smaller groups are called Genera. 



To make this all quite clear we will take an example. 



The Brimstone Butterfly (Plate II, fig. 4) belongs to the second 

 family Pieridce, all the members of which are distinguished 

 from those of the other families by the characteristics mentioned 

 on page 141. 



But our Brimstone Butterfly possesses another very prominent 

 feature in which it differs from all the other British Pieridce, and 

 that is the conspicuous projecting angles of both fore and hind 

 wings. Among the foreign species of the family we are consider- 

 ing there are several that possess these angles ; but as there are no 

 others among our own members, the ' Brimstone ' is placed by 

 itself in the list of British Lepidoptera as the only member of the 

 genus Gonopteryx or ' angle-winged ' butterflies. 



Thus the full relationship of this butterfly to other insects may 

 be shown in the following manner : 



The Brimstone Butterfly. 



ORDER. Lepidop tera 

 Section. Eliopalocera 

 FAMILY. Pieridce 

 Genus. Gonopteryx 

 Species. Rhamni 



