1 78 COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



flies are also found in a marked degree in many of 

 the moths, while the slender and contracted body, 

 and the structure of the hinder wings are found in 

 insects of both tribes. 



However, as this work treats of entomology in a 

 popular rather than a purely scientific sense, we will 

 accept the more general system of classification, and 

 still retain the title of butterflies and moths, as applied 

 to the insects of the two so-called divisions of the 

 Lepidoptera. 



On the preceding page is a map or chart of a 

 Butterfly, showing the principal portions of the insect, 

 and the distinctive names attached to them by ento- 

 mologists. Some of these words look rather formid- 

 able, but there is really little difficulty in learning and 

 retaining them ; and the best way of mastering them is, 

 to trace them out on the wings of various Butterflies, 

 and, if possible, to sketch those wings on an enlarged 

 scale, and write the names of the different portions. 

 The principal portions of the wings are those which 

 are denoted by letters, and which should therefore be 

 learned first ; the knowledge of the other portions 

 being gained by degrees. Here I may mention that 

 Mr. E. Newman repudiates the word nervure, and 

 substitutes the simpler word ' ray,' as analogous with 

 the fin-rays of fishes. He is undoubtedly justified in 

 considering that * ray ' is the better word, but as in all 

 scientific accounts of the Lepidoptera the word ' ner- 

 vure ' is used, I have employed it, leaving the reader 

 to substitute the word ' ray ' if he should prefer it. 



The reader will notice the enormous size of the 

 eye-masses, as shown in Fig. I, this great size and 



