78 
On ihe Battledore Scales of Butterflies. 
C Monthly Microscopical 
Journal, Aug. 1, 1869. 
relation to the others, and that the insects could have no natural 
affinity ; but similar differences (inconsistencies, if you will) exist 
in the Pieridae, and it does not appear that insects nearly allied in 
other respects are always furnished with similar plumules. It is, 
however, possible that similarity in this respect may hereafter in- 
fluence entomologists in their arrangements. 
The scales represented by Figs. 1 to 37 and 42 to 53 are from 
insects inhabiting various localities all over the world, each with 
certain geographical limits. Most Butterflies have a rather narrow 
range of habitat, as is the case with other animals ; and some are 
confined to very strait locahties. For example, Morpho Ganymede 
is known only as inhabiting a certain district of Bogota, the family 
Acrsea is found almost only in Africa, Ageronia only in Brazil ; but 
Pyraraeis cardui ranges over the whole world, and Vanessa Antiopa 
is excluded only from Africa. Now Lyceena hsetica, Figs. 38, 39, and 
40, is also a cosmopolite, inhabiting all the localities of those repre- 
sented in the Plates. In the ' Diurnal Genera,' before referred to, 
its habitat is given as " Southern Europe, Java, South Africa, Mau- 
ritius, Madagascar, Africa, India." It has also been found in Great 
Britain ; and I may add to the list Australia, the insect from which 
Fig. No. 40 was taken having been captured by Mr. Diggles at 
Moreton Bay. Figs. 38 and 39 are also from Moreton Bay, and 
mere varieties of the same insect. 
Collectors are now receiving from Australia insects previously 
known as appertaining only to the Indian Archipelago ; and it is 
remarkable that while this island has an insect fauna of its own, 
it should also possess the insects of neighbouring though distant 
lands, and yet that its pecuhar fauna, animal and vegetable, should 
be distinct. 
The insect whose scale is shown by No. 41 has been lately 
named by Felder Dijpsas lycasnoides ; it is questionable whether it 
should be placed in the genus Dipsas. It is also from Moreton 
Bay, and evidently allied to hsetica. The beaded or articulated 
appearance at the upper end is very singular. The insect has an 
evident affinity with hastica, but in no other instance have I found 
any scale approaching these. 
The points desired to be insisted upon as useful in this investi- 
gation are — 
1. That these plumules are always identical in different indi- 
viduals of the same species; and therefore mere geographical or 
other varieties may be detected by this test ; and that 
2. In species nearly allied, so closely as to make them difficult 
of distinction, these scales will be often found very different, forming 
very certain and unquestionable divisions; while, on the other 
hand, species of easy separation in other physiological peculiarities 
have sometimes almost identical plumules. 
