86 



NATURAL ARRANGEMENT OF INSECTS. 



hawk moths, generally so termed (Sphingides), where 

 the antennse are thickest in the middle (i), and gradually 

 narrowed towards each extremity. 

 These insects derive their familiar 

 name from the rapidity of their 

 flight, and from the distant resem- 

 blance which may be traced in the 

 profile of their heads to that of a 

 hawk ; in general, they fly only 

 during morning and evening. The 

 third, which is by far the largest 

 division, comprehends the moths 

 (PhalcBuidcs) : these fly only in 



the dusk of evening. 



or during 



the night ; and their antennae gra- 

 duate from the base to a fine point (c). These, as 

 Linnaeus long ago perceived, are the primary divisions, 

 corresponding to our primary circles of the whole order. 

 But as one of these, or the aberrant, is always resolvable 

 into three others, we find that the nocturnal moths ar- 

 range themselves into three great groups, composed of the 

 BoDibi/cides, or silk moths; the Geometrides, orloopers; 

 and the Xoctuides, or night moths. Thus we have 

 three aberrant and two typical groups or tribes, corre- 

 sponding to the quinary divisions of aU the other orders. 



(76.) Commencing with the Papilionides, or first 

 tribe we shall merely observe, that they comprehend all 

 the dmrnal butterflies with clavate antennae, or such as 

 were included by Linnaeus under his genus Papilio. 

 These Ave arrange under five distinct families, which, 

 under the following names, we shall briefly notice ; 

 namely, 1. the Papilionides ; 2. the Nymphalidce ; 3. the 

 Satyridee ; 4, the ErycinidfB ; and, 5. the Hesperid^e, 

 The first have six perfect feet, and iuliform larvae ; the 

 second have the anterior feet abortive, and the larva are 

 scolopendriform : these two being typical ; while the 

 three following are aberrant. 



(77.) The arrangement of the PapilionidcB into their 

 minor families or divisions has not yet been attempted — 



