432 ME. W. P. KIRBY ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF 



ii. pp. 130-145), but approaches it so nearly as to render a compa- 

 rison between the Rhopalocera and the Aves extremely easy as 

 well as interesting (birds, Sclater, 7500; butterflies, Kirby, 7700). 



Had I been dealing with Lepidoptera only, I would certaiuly 

 have united Dr. Sclater's " Palsearctic Eegion " and " Nearctic 

 Eegion;" for although the species of North- American Ehopalocera 

 are seldom identical with those of northern Asia and Europe, still 

 the genera are the same with scarcely an exception, except a few 

 representatives of South- American genera, which have no more 

 right to be considered Nearctic species than the similar chance 

 representatives of African forms in North Africa or South-west 

 Europe, or of Indian forms in South-east Europe, have to be 

 considered Palaearctic species. But for purposes of comparison it 

 will be better to adhere to the geographical provinces mapped out 

 by Dr. Sclater, commencing with : — 



I. Ealcearctic Region. 



"Extent. — Africa north of the Atlas, Europe, Asia-Minor, 

 Persia and Asia generally north of the Himalaya range, upper 

 part of Himalaya range ? [certainly the north-west Himalayas], 

 Northern China, Japan, and the Aleutian Islands. Approxi- 

 mate area of 14,000,000 square miles." 



Characteristic forms. — Erebia, (Eneis (circumpolar), *Mela- 

 nargia, Satyrus, Epinephile, Hipparchia, Ccenonynipha, *Triphysa,. 

 Argynnis, Melitcea, *Araschnia, Vanessa, *Nemeobius, Lyccena, 

 *Thestor, Elebeius, *Lceosopis, ^'Zephyrus, *Eencophasia> * Gone- 

 pteryx (sect, typ.), Colias, *Zegris, *Euchloe, *Mesapia, * Hyper- 

 mnestra, *Doritis, Earnassius, *Sericinus, * Thais, Thymelicus? 

 *Erynnis, Hesperia, Carterocephalus. 



The above are all genera which may without any doubt be con- 

 sidered highly characteristic of the Palaearctic region, many 

 being entirely confined to it, and others, though widely distri- 

 buted, reaching their maximum of size and colour within its 

 boundaries. The genera marked with an asterisk do not, with 

 the doubtful exceptions of Gonepteryx and Erynnis, extend to the 

 Nearctic region ; nor, except Gonepteryx and Zephyrus, which ex- 

 tend to the Himalayas, do they so much as touch the Indian 

 region. Although the genus Elebeius is widely distributed, yet it 

 seems rather to belong to the Palaearctic fauna than to any other. 



As is the case with the birds, the genera of Ehopalocera, cha- 

 racteristic of this district, are far from equalling many of the 



