INTRODUCTION. 



of Plesioneura, Udaspes, Parnara, Chapra, Thanaos, Taractrocera, Telicota, and 

 Padraona. 



Mr. Doherty also remarks that " a kind of hermaphroditism seems to 

 occur sometimes in the Hespeviidce. From the body of (apparent) males of 

 Suastus eltola and of Coladenia dan, both having perfect prehensores of the 

 form characteristic of their respective species, I obtained one or two well- 

 developed eggs exactly similar to those taken from the females of the same 

 species. Also, from a male of Suastus toona (the egg of that species 

 being, except for this, unknown to me) I obtained a single immature blood- 

 red egg. I have not observed this in any of the higher groups of 

 butterflies."* 



In connection with the above it may be noted that the two species 

 eltola and toona, which Mr. Doherty includes under Suastus, are now generally 

 included under Parnara, which genus is included by Mr. Doherty under a 

 different sub-division to that of Suastus, so either the egg classification is 

 unreliable, or these two species should be kept distinct from Parnara. 



In the larvae the head is always large and the neck narrow. The 

 pupae are more moth-like than those of any other family of butterflies, and 

 are generally enclosed in a web between two leaves. 



The perfect insects are readily distinguished on the wing by their short 

 jerky flight, which has earned for them the name of " skippers." When at 

 rest the wings are either raised above the back or else extended flat, in the 

 latter case frequently on the underside of a leaf, and in some genera 

 the forewings are sometimes raised above the back and the hindwings 

 depressed. Many genera are markedly crepuscular in the perfect state. 



As it may possibly assist in their classification, I append lists of the 

 genera which rest with their wings raised and extended respectively. 



With their wings raised : Badamia, Choaspes, Ismene, Hasora, Parata, 

 Pithauria, Baoris, Suastus, Ampittia, Cttpitha, Thanaos, Cyclopides, Erionota, 

 Halpe, Taractroceya, Isoteinon, Udaspes, Notocrypta, Gangara, Hyarotis, Astictop- 

 terus, Bavacus, Gomalia and Matapa. 



With their wings extended flat : Sarangesa, Satarupa, Tagiades, Abaratha, 

 Coladenia, Tapena, Lobocla, Cel&norvhinus and Calliana. 



The following genera rest with the wings either closed over the 

 back, or with the forewings raised above the back and the hindwings 

 extended flat : Chapra, Parnara, Telicota, Padraona, and Ampittia. 



I have no information or personal experience of the genera Pirdana, 

 Bibasis, Capita, Pisola, Pithauriopsis, Plastingia, and Hantana. In the genus 

 Hesperia I have experience of three species, viz.) H. galba, H. evanidus and 

 H. marmUi ; of these the two former rest with their wings raised, and 

 the latter (which should probably not be included in the same genus) 

 with its wings extended. 



* Mr. Doherty has subsequently stated (J. A. S. B., Vol. LVIII, pt. 2, 1889, P I2 ^ 

 foot-note) that he has found it necessary to altogether remodel his arrangement of the 

 Hesperiidce, but this modification has not yet been published. 



