138 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



Prevailing colours white and yellow, sometimes black, varied 

 with red or yellow, rarely red or blue, over the greater part of 

 the wings, often with the apex orange or yellow, never with any 

 approach to ocellated spots, except towards the end of the 

 cells on the under surface of some of the yellow species. 

 Structure moderately robust ; flight rapid, except in some of 

 the smaller species, but rarely high. Wings with closed cells, 

 sub-median nervure un-branched, sometimes bifid at the base. 

 Fore-wings with no internal nervure, but the hind-wings always 

 with one, and, in many cases, with streaks resembling nervures 

 between the nervures on the under-side of the wings, thus 

 giving the appearance of three sub-median nervures. Inner- 

 margin of the hind-wings usually forming a gutter to receive 

 the abdomen. 



Six perfect legs in both sexes, without spurs, claws bifid. 



Range. The greater number of genera and species of this 

 family inhabit the Tropics of the Old World ; but the Alpine 

 and Arctic genus Eurymus extends as far to the north and south 

 as any Butterflies exist. The small white and yellow Butter- 

 flies belonging to Terias and its allies, and the larger ones 

 belonging to Catopsilia, &c., inhabit the tropics of both 

 Hemispheres. Several remarkable genera are peculiar to 

 Tropical America; some of these have longer wings than 

 usual, and mimic various species of IthomiincR. "Orange- 

 tips " are peculiarly characteristic of Africa, though similarly- 

 marked species are found in Europe, Asia, North America, 

 and Chili. 



Habits. The Pieridcc inhabit woods and meadows. Their 

 flight is often rapid, but not generally very lofty. The more 

 delicate species, which have a weak flight, are often very local. 



Classification. Fourteen genera of Pierida were admitted by 

 Boisduval in 1836 ; and sixteen by Doubleday in the 



