JG 



PREFACE 



In the present volume Col. Bingham has commenced the 

 descriptions of the Indian Butterflies. It was at first hoped 

 that two volumes would complete the series, but three will 

 certainly be necessary if all the forms are dealt with. The 

 next volume will, it is expected, contain, amongst others, the 

 Papilionidse and the Pieridse. 



For many years, in consequence of the late Mr. de Niceville 

 having undertaken to describe the Indian Butterflies, it was 

 not thought desirable that the subject should be included 

 in the present series. Unfortunately Mr. de Niceville died 

 in 1901, without having completed his work, and as he had 

 urged, in a letter to the present editor, that Col. Bingham 

 should, in case of his failure, supply his place, it has now 

 devolved on the latter to complete the series. Since the 

 first appearance of Marshall and de Niceville's work on 

 Indian Butterflies in 1882, so many additions have been 

 made, and so many new forms have been described, that the 

 species inhabiting the Indian Empire are far more generally 

 known. To these Moore's great work, the { Lepidoptera 

 Indica/ has added several novelties. 



The question of illustrating the present work has presented 

 some difficulty. To figure animals so brilliantly variegated 

 as Butterflies by black and white alone would have given a 



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