SOUTH-AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



m. Subcostal ncrvuvo of foro-wings with three (in one species only 

 two) branches ; radial nervulo of hind-Aviug somewhat dis- 

 • connected from subcostal norvurc, being united to it only by 



an imperfect transverse nervulo, 

 Sub-Family 4. — Enjcinince. 



/)/)/). Tarsi of first pair of legs in male wanting one or both claws, 

 but spined beneath ; perfect in female. 

 Family III. — Lyceniuj^. 



BBBB. Tarsi of first pair of legs perfect in both sexes. 

 Family IV. — Papilionidjj;. 



h: Tarsal claAvs bilid ; inner margin of hind-wings prominently 

 rounded. 



Sub-Family i. — Pieriinv. 



H: Tarsal claws simple ; inner margin of ' hind-wings hollowed ; 

 tibia) of first pair of legs with a small process on their inner 

 edge. 



Sub-Family 2, — Papilionince, 



AA. Antennnei wide apart at origin ; tibin? of hind pair of legs with an 

 additional pair of spurs rather beyond the middle. 

 Family V. — HESPERiDiE. 



3. Geographical Distribution. 



Taken as a group, Butterflies may be described as of almost uni- 

 versal distribution over the earth, there being scarcely any known spots ^ 

 (except in the Antarctic lauds and islands) wliere in the summer, at 

 least in tavourable years, some species do not occur. In the highest 

 northern latitudes yet explored various kinds have been met with, even 

 Grlnnell Land, in the extreme north of America (between lat. 78° and 

 83°), having yielded live species belonging to three families." The 

 most southern known station of Butterflies is at the other extremity of 

 An^erica, several kinds inhabiting Tierra del Fuego, on the shore of the 

 Strait of Magellan. These remote outposts are, however, highlj^ un- 

 favourable to butterfly existence, which finds its highest development 

 in the Tropical Regions, and, speaking generally, thins out and wanes 

 in proportion to distance from the equatorial belt. In the same way, 

 as a broad rule, these insects become scarcer as a higher altitude is 

 reached, although there are many peculiar and abundant alpine forms ; 

 and where flowering vegetation dies out, the limit of the actual habitat 

 of Rhopalocera is found, seeing that the larv£B are exclusively, and the 



^ Iceland is perhaps one ; Dr. Staudinger, the well-known lepidopterist, having found no 

 butterflies auioug the thirty-three species of Lepidoptei\a he collected in that island. But I 

 believe he only collected dui-ing a single season ; and several butterflies have been reported 

 as inhabiting Iceland. 



- See JI'Lachlan's Report on the Insects collected on the Arctic Expedition of the 

 " Alert" and " Discovery" in 1S75-76 (Journ. Linn, ^oc., Zool., xxv. p. 9S, 1S7S). 



