THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



335 



bers may be readily recognised in the perfect 

 state, by the rudimentary or abortive fore- 

 legs, which are never fitted for walking ; by 

 the distinct club of the antenna?, and by the 

 groove on the hind wings for the reception of 

 the abdomen. The British species may be 

 placed under tv o sub-families. Nymphalin.t. 

 and Satyr: n.t\ 



Sub-Family i, Nymphalinae. 



Imago. — Generally gaily colored, the 

 hind wing sometimes has one or more 

 occelated. or eyed spots, and always has a 

 groove for the reception of the abdomen : the 

 hind margin of one or both wings often 

 of irregular outline; they have a strong and 

 powerful ilight ; when disturbed the)- will 

 often ily off swiftly to a considerable distance, 

 and return again to the very flower or leaf on 

 which they were resting. This habit should 

 always be remembered by collectors who dis- 

 turb them, ere they were near enough to 

 capture them. 



Larva. — Generally cylindrical and spiny. 

 Apatura iris being the only British species to 

 which this description does not apply. 



Pupa. -Always suspended by the tail, but 

 without the silken belt of the Papilibnida , it 

 is much angulated. and often spotted and 

 marked with gold. 



Considerably over one hundred genera are 

 recognised in this sub-fami.y. In Britain we 

 have only eighteen species, divided by our 

 latest authors into six genera, which may be 

 tabulated as follows with reference to the 

 British species :— 



1. Hind margins of fore wings rounded, or 



concave ; color fulvous spotted with 

 black. 



a Underside with silvery spots, Genus I, 

 Argyn n is. 



b Underside without silvery spots, Genus 

 II, MeliUa. 



2. Hind margins of fore wings angulated, or 



concave. 



a A U-shaped mark near the top of fore 

 wing formed of five or six white spots, 

 Genus III, Pyrumeis. 



b No U-shaped mark, Genus IV, Vdhessa. 

 3. A band of white spots on both wings. 

 a No eyed spot on hind wings, Genus V? 

 Limemtis. 



b Hind wing eyed, Genus VI, Apatura. 



Genus I, Argynnis. 



" Argynnis, F., Argimnis f a surname of 

 Venus from the temple erected in her honor 

 by Agamemnon, on the death of his favorite, 

 Argynnis. Proper. IV., 6 22." — A.L. 



About one hundred species of this genus 



j are known. They inhabit northern and 



; temperate dimes, about one-third of them 

 are European, and nearly an equal number 



] occur in Asia and North America. One is 

 found in Australia, and a few in South 

 America. We believe only one occurs in 

 Africa (Algeria), and few of the Asiatic 

 species get so far south as India. Six species 

 are recognised as British, of which, one is 

 only an occasional visitor. Odd specimens 

 of one or two others have been taken in our 



! island, and will be described among the 



J Reputed British Butterflies. 



Though there are so few British species 

 they are not very easy for a beginner to 



j separate. We have therefore thought it best 

 to give a table, which we partly adapt from 

 Stainton. 



j 1. Imago expanding more than two inches. 

 a Under-side of hind wings with silver 



streaks, A . Pa phi a. 

 b Under-side of hind wings with silver 

 spots. 



a A row of reddish spots between the 

 outer and central row of silver 

 spots, A . Adippe. 

 b No row of reddish spots. A : Aglaia. 

 c The basal spots very large and brilliant, 

 A . Lathonia. 

 2. Imago expanding less than two inches. 

 a. More than one central silvery spot. A. 

 Selene. 



b Only one central silvery spot. A , Euphra- 

 sy tie. 



Careful attention is also requested to the 

 descriptions. 



