BUTTERFLIES. 549 
into two sections, the Butterflies and Moths, technically call Rhopalocera and 
Heterocera, which may generally be distinguished from each other by the 
form of the antennz, those of the Butterflies having knobs at their tips, 
whilst those'of the Moths are pointed. The first family is that of the Papi- 
lionidiz, in which are included the largest and most magnificent speci- 
mens of this order. 
The beautiful insect represented on p. 548 is not very uncommon in some 
paris of England, especially in the fenny parts of Cambridgeshire. 
It flies with exceeding rapidity, nearly ina straight line, and is very diffi- 
cult to capture. 
The colour of the wings is black, variegated most beautifully with yellow 
markings, and near the extremity of each hinder wing is a circular red spot, 
surmounted by a crescent of blue, and the whole surrounded by a black ring. 
PEACOCK BUTTERFLY.— (Vanessa Jo.) 
WE now come to another family, called the Pieridae, which may be known at 
once by the manner in which the inner edges of the hinder wings are folded. 
so as to form a kind of gutter in which the abdomen rests. In all these in- 
sects the colours are comparatively sober, the upper surface being generally 
white and black, and the under surface sparingly coloured with red and 
yellow. To this family belong our common white butterflies, together with 
the well-known Brimstone Lutterfly (the harbinger of spring), all the Marbled 
Butterflies, the Orange-tip, and the now scarce Veined-white. 
THE large and important family of the Nymphalide contains a vast num- 
ber of species, most of which are notable for their brilliant colouring, and man 
of which are well-known natives of England. ‘ : 
To this family belongs the brightly coloured genus Vanessa, of which the 
common PEACOCK BUTTERFLY is a familiar British example. ” This insect 
which is one of the finest of our British butterflies, is very common in our own 
