THE SATYRID^E, 93 



pared with those of the true Papllionidce. We see no 

 reason,, therefore, to change the above opinion. 



(85.) The family of SATYRIIX&, or Argus butterflies, 

 was originally comprised by us in the last division ; but 

 more matured reflection, and the analogies they bear to 

 other groups of higher value,, induce us to consider them 

 as entitled to a distinct station. They have many pecu- 

 liarities in their habits, independent of all such as have 

 been pointed out in their metamorphosis. Here we find 

 the largest butterflies in existence ; the whole group 

 being analogous to that of the ruminating animals 

 among Quadrupeds. Nearly all the typical species are 

 confined to Tropical America. Their colours are distri- 

 buted on the upper surface, in large masses of shining 

 blue, upon a brown or dark ground. The genus Ama- 

 thusa represents these noble insects in India ; but their 

 size is smaller, and they are destitute of brilliant colours. 

 The smaller groups of this family are those only which 

 are distributed over Europe ; we have many species 

 in England, known by the familiar name of meadow 

 browns (ffipparchia F.). The strong peculiarity which 

 runs through all these groups, is, that the under surface 

 of the wings is invariably ornamented with beautiful 

 ocellate spots : these spots, in the large American spe- 

 cies, resemble in form, but not in brilliancy of colour, 

 those on the tail of the peacock ; but in the European 

 examples they are smaller, more numerous, and often 

 silvery. The general structure of all these insects, even 

 those of the largest, is weak. The typical groups live only 

 in the dark primeval forests, resting on the trunks of 

 trees during the meridian heat, and show a decided par- 

 , tiality for shade ; some, indeed, fly only towards the 

 dusk of the evening. These habits, strikingly contrast- 

 ing with those of the Papilionidce and the Nymphalidce, 

 show that we have reached an aberrant group of these 

 diurnal Lepidoptera; and illustrates that general habit 

 and structure must have more weight than partial con- 

 siderations, drawn either from the larva, the pupa, or 

 the perfect insect. The natural divisions of this group 



