318 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



Third superior subcostal nervuie of forewings forked ; under surface of hindwings 

 generally with discontinuous, though ranged, markings. 



Stouter bodied, with colours of upper surface usually more or less 

 violet ; spines on under side of tarsi comparatively few, and ranged in 

 pretty regular series; clasps tapering, apically pointed Lyc^enidi. 



Slenderer bodied, with colours of upper surface more or less coppery ; 

 spines on underside of tarsi numerous, and clustered irregularly at the 

 sides ; clasps subequal, apically rounded . . . . Chrysophantdi. 



It may be advisable here to give Meyrick's grouping of the family, 

 to show how the selection of a single relatively unimportant character 

 for a subdivision on broad lines, may lead one into the most conspicuous 

 error. A comparison of the characters used by Scudder and Meyrick 

 respectively, and their results proves instructive. Meyrick classifies 

 (Handbook, etc., pp. 342 et seq.) the group thus : 



Lycenid^e : Anterior legs developed, but tarsi of <? more or less abbreviated, 

 or with one or both claws absent ; posterior tibiae without middle-spurs. Fore- 

 wings : 7 absent, 8 and 9 stalked or coincident. Hindwings without praecostal 

 spur. Ovum flattened spherical or subcylindrical, reticulated and sometimes ribbed, 

 seldom smooth (L. avion). Larva stout, with few hairs. Pupa attached by tail 

 and a central belt of silk, or sometimes unattached or subterranean. 



1. Forewings with 6 out of 9 .. .. 1. Thecla. 

 Forwings with 6 separate . . . . . . 2 



2. Eyes glabrous .. .. .. .. ..2. Chrysophanus. 



Eyes hairy . . . . . . . . 3. Lyoeina. 



1. Thecla, F. — Eyes hairy. Club of antennae elongate. Forewings : 6 out of 

 9, 8 out of 9 or absent — T. vubi, T. pruni, T. id -album, T. betulae, T. querciis 



2. Chrysophanus, Hb. — Eyes glabrous. Club of antennae elongate. Fore- 

 wings : 6 separate, 8 and 9 stalked — C. argiades, C. minimus, C. semiargus, G. 

 astrarche, C. phlaeas, C. dispar. 



3. Lyoena, F. — Eyes hairy. Club of antennae elongate. Forewings : 6 

 separate, 8 and 9 stalked — L. baetica, L. argiolus, L. corydon, L. bellargus, L. 

 aegon, L. icarus, L. avion. 



Such a grouping as this needs no condemnation. On the strength 

 of the eyes being " glabrous " or " hairy " one finds Cupido minimus, 

 Chrysophanus dispar, Aricia astrarche, etc., in one genus, and Lampides 

 boetica, Celastrina argiolus, Lycaena avion, Agriades corydon, etc., in 

 another. 



Our own grouping (British Butterflies, pp. 146 et. seq.) in 1896, 

 reads as follows : 



Division : Lycjenida. 

 Family: Lycenilve. 

 Subfamily: Lycenin^e. 

 Tribe : Chrysophantdi. 



Genus : Chrysophanus — C. dispar, C. phlaeas. 

 Tribe : Lyc^enidi. 



Genus : Lyc.ena — L. avion. 



Genus : Cupido — C. minima. 



Genus : Nomiades — N. semiargus. 



Genus : Polyommatus — P. corydon, P. bellargus, P. icarus, P. 



astrarche. 

 Genus: Plebeiuk — P. aegon. 

 Genus : Everes — E. argiades. 

 Genus : Cyaniris — C. argiolus. 

 Tribe : Theclidi. 



Genus : Callophrys — C. rubi. 

 Genus : Zephyrus — Z. querciis, A. betulae. 

 Genus : Thecla — Y\ w-album, T. pruni. 

 Family : Lemoniid.e. 

 Subfamily : LehioniiNjE. 

 Trire : Nemeobiedi. 



Genus : Nemeobids — N. lucina. 



