INTRODUCTION 



brings the greatest joy, and only those who have, through 

 constant intercession with Nature, become converted to 

 this belief possess any adequate conception of the basic 

 principles of Hfe, and realise how, as has been written in 

 a previous volume in this series, all things that live arc 

 closely, or distantly, related to one another. It is a good 

 idea, too, to pursue regional studies rather than engage in 

 a mad scamper here, there, and everywhere. The results 

 obtained are far more satisfactory, and observation of 

 local fauna and flora helps one to assist in the compila- 

 tion of a national system. It must not be supposed that 

 I advocate attention being restricted to the locality in 

 which one lives, as comparisons and deductions made 

 elsewhere are likely to prove of inestimable value, but 

 those who have opportunities for studying wild nature 

 systematically all through the year, are far more likely to 

 secure an accurate conception of the mineral, animal, 

 and vegetable constitution by concentration upon a 

 given area which is, as it were, under constant survey. 

 Butterflies and Moths belong to the Class Insecta (Insects), 

 and the Order Lepidoptera which latter, being interpreted, 

 means scale- winged, from two Greek words Lepis—a. 

 scale, pteron=2i wing. When handled, it will be 

 observed that one's fingers become coated with a powdery 

 substance which, placed under a microscope, shows itself 

 as consisting of perfectly-formed scales. These vary 

 in number and shape to an immense extent, even if 

 restricted to British species only, and they present 

 endless material for study and research. 



Having decided that an insect belongs to this Order, 

 the next step in classification is to ascertain the Family to 



