368 ME. H. W. BATES — CATALOGUE OF EUTCINID^. 



tempted. The number of described species at the present time 

 is not fewer tban 630. In 1819, when Godart treated of the 

 group, as one genus, in the ' Ency elope die Methodique,' only 

 134 species were described; and in 1851, Professor "Westwood 

 could muster only 247, exclusive of a few species insufficiently 

 characterized by the older authors, and the knowledge of which 

 at present appears to be lost. 



The Erycinidae are well distinguished from all other Butter- 

 flies, with the exception of the genus Lihythea, forming a separate 

 group allied to the Erycinidae, by the anterior pair of legs in the 

 males being aborted, without tarsal joints, or trace of claws and 

 spines, the same legs in the females being of normal structure. 

 The other characters which have been employed to distinguish 

 the group are far from being so constant. The palpi are variable 

 in length and shape ; and the differences scarcely suffice to distin- 

 guish even subordinate groups of the family. The neuration of the 

 wings, too, in some of the genera is very similar to that of the Lycse- 

 nid8e,and in others difiers from the ISTymphalidse only in the absence 

 of an upper discocellular nervule to the fore wings ; but this is not 

 quite a definite character, as some species possess this nervule. 

 The metamorphoses are also variable, some genera resembling the 

 Nymphalidae in the chrysalis being suspended by the tail *, and 

 others the Lycasnidre in being recumbent and girt with silken 

 threads. Too little is known of the caterpillars to enable us to 

 say whether they offer any peculiarity. All the species, in the 

 adult state, are of smaller size and weaker structure than the 

 average of the Nymphalidae, and are distinguished by the tenuity 

 and fragility of the wing-membranes. 



The geographical distribution of the Erycinidae is interesting. 

 All, except 34 species, are found in Tropical America, The 

 whole of the Old- "World species, 30 in number, belong to one 

 subdivision, which is not, however, peculiar to the eastern he- 

 misphere, the New World possessing a few genera coming within 

 the same group. One species only is found in Europe, the well- 

 known English butterfly, Nemeobms Lucina. The species of ex- 

 tratropical North America, four in number (one found in the 



* In a former paper I had employed the character aiforded by the position 

 of the chi'ysalis to diride the Erycinid^ into two subfamilies, Btalachtinm and 

 ErycinincE ; but I have since found amongst my papers a note of the transfor- 

 mations oi Ernests mandana, an insect wliich I once bred from the caterpillar, and 

 found that the chrysalis is suspended by the tail, as in Stalachtis. Such a fact 

 as this entirely destroys the systematic value of metamorphosis in this family. 



