V 



Preface. 



The first era of the ,,Macrolepidoptera of the World; comprising the palearctic fauna, could yet be 

 completed m the year 1914. It is only to-day that the second large division containing the exotic day- 

 b a 1 1 e r f 1 i e s is coming to a close. On 458 plates the whole day-butterflies of the Indo-Australian, American, 

 and Ethiopian ranges were figured, unless they, were dispensable or unavailable. 



The present fifth volume which I herewith place before the public, comprehends the Rhopalocera 

 and Grypocera of the whole of America with a delimitation as has been tried to substantiate 

 on p. 3 (of the Introduction). To those who do not consider this delimitation to be sufficient for faunistic 

 reasons — which doubts are not unjustified — it may be pointed out that, in order to financiate such expensive 

 enterprises as was the production of the Macrolepidoptera, practical theoretical considerations have sometimes 

 to yield to practical ones. The restriction of the interest or at least of the collections of many intending purchasers 

 upon especially American forms appeared to the editor to be so far-spread that he thought to owe particular 

 consideration to the nations of that part of the globe promising the greatest number of subscribers for the relative 

 volumes. 



This consideration appeared to the author to be the more necessary since just of late the work had been 

 considerably subsidized by America. Beside many letters from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay 

 to the editor and the authors of the corresponding groups of lepidoptera, that were often mentioned in the 

 text, we are particularly indebted to the United States and Mexico for their active support. Especially Sir. 

 Roberto Mtjeller and Prof. Carlos Hoffmann in Mexico (City), Mr. W. Schatjs and H. G. Dyae in Washing- 

 ton, by their unselfish collaboration enabled us to fill up a great number of hitherto prevailing gaps and to 

 eliminate former errors. By the kindness of some more eminent specialists of the American fauna, such as 

 Barnes, Benjajiin, Boll, Snyder etc. • — whose names had been gratefully noted already in the first part 

 of the work — we were able to supply figures of specimens which would have never been possible but for the 

 kind control of the owners of such rarities or even unique specimens. 



The mentioning of the names of all who assisted the editor in his gigantic work both by word and deed 

 is probably neither intended by them nor is it to the interest of the work ; but we consider it to be our duty 

 to express at this place our sincere thanks for their endeavours. 



The immense material to which we had to seek access for the sake of elaborating most satisfactorily 

 the American lepidoptera was only partly available on the European Continent. The faunae of Canada 

 and of the United- States were the most represented in European, particularly German, Museums. This 

 is especially the place where the above-mentioned assistance of the entomologists of the United States set 

 in; and besides the literature on the North American fauna is already so copious that by its aid an approxi- 

 mate survey particularly of the American day-butterflies could be obtained. By means of an abimdant 

 use of the works of Abbot and Smith, Scudder, the two Edwards, Holland, Wright and others with partly 

 excellent figures, and by the aforesaid kind assistance of North American collectors, we believe to have supplied 

 a compilation sufficient for the short draft to which such an extensive work has to be ronfined. 



As to M e X i c o , the above-mentioned help of Mr. R. Mueller and ]\L". C. Hoffmann enabled us to 

 study novelties and rarities about which others would scarcely have informed us. Prof. Dr. M. DEArDT at 

 Darmstadt, whose collection of Mexican lepidoptera is probably unexcelled in Europe, has on the base of this 

 material personally elaborated the Lycaenidae and Grypocera and thereby rendered a particularly great service 

 to the exploration of this rather defective field, and he was able to supply nearly all the figures of more than 

 a hundred newly described American day-butterflies. 



Central America which, by the renowned ,,Bio]ogia" of Salvin and Godman and later on by 

 W. ScHAXJS' publications, is better known than most of the South American tropical countries, could frequently 



