46 SOUTH-AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



given above, a characteristic point in the neuration of the wings in 

 this Family is the presence or absence of the lower disco-cellular nervule 

 in the hind-wings, according to which the discoidal cell is closed or 

 open. This nervule is well developed throughout all the Sub-Families 

 except the Nrjmphalina:, in which the majority of the genera has the 

 cell quite open, though in many others the closing nervule is distinctly 

 or feebly exhibited. 



Three of the six Sub-Families, viz., the Danaince, Acrceinm, and 

 Heliconince, are readily distinguished from the rest by their elongated 

 body and wings. In the Heliconide Danaince of South America and 

 in the Heliconince of the same region, which possess this elongation in 

 its greatest development, the antennse are also, in general, very long. 

 The Danaince present an apparently constant distinction in the internal 

 nervure of the fore-wings, which is very slender and short, and, instead 

 of having a free course to the inner margin, as in the Papilionince, 

 ends by anastomosing with the immediately superior submedian ner- 

 vure.^ The Acrceincc differ from the Heliconince in their much narrower 

 head, thicker palpi, shorter and more abruptly clavate antennae, shorter 

 wings, and usually much longer discoidal cell of the hind-wings. All 

 these three Sub-Families are also characterised by the small develop- 

 ment of the thorax, which is much shorter and narrower than in the 

 Nymphalince and Brassolince — in this respect resembling that of the 

 Satyrincs. 



The Brassolince, which are confined to South America, are singular 

 among the Nymplialidce in possessing in the hind-wings a small pre- 

 discoidal cell, formed (as in the Pajnlionince) by the junction of the 

 lower branch of the precostal with the costal nervure. The principal 

 differences between the Nymphalinm and Satyrince are that the former 

 have generally a more robust structure, especially as regards the size 

 of the thorax and the thickness and rigidity of the wings ; their palpi 

 are more porrect, and clothed with scales more than with hairs ; the 

 fore-legs of the male are better developed ; and the discoidal cell of 

 the hind-wings is usually open or but imperfectly closed. 



When we turn to the Larvcc and Pupce of the several Sub-Families, 

 we do not find that the differences among them are such as to make 

 the divisions founded upon them correspond closely with the groups 

 formed from the characters of the perfect insects, but there is never- 

 theless very considerable agreement between the two arrangements. 

 Thus the Danaince larvae differ from all the rest in having the skin 

 smooth, with simply a few pairs of thread-like tentacles or two rows of 

 small tubercles ; while the pup^ are very round, short, and smooth, 

 with a blunt head. The Scityrince larvae are attenuated towards the 

 hinder extremity, which is usually bifid or forked, and their skin is set 

 with a stiff sparse clothing of extremely short hairs ; their head is 



^ The same arrangement of the internal nervure recurs in some of the more robust genera 

 of Picrince, such as Uebomoia, Eronia, Callidryas, &c. 



