EHOPALOCERA. 
19 
thoroughly examined by Messrs. Doubleday and Westwood in their 
Genera of Diurnal Lepidoptera)^ present features worth considering in 
comparing the structure of the different groups. The claws themselves 
(ungues) seem to be simple throughout the various Families, except in 
the Sub-Family Pierince, in many genera of the Satyrince^ and in a 
single species of PapiliQnince^ where they are more or less deeply bifid. 
But the appendages to the claws, termed pulvillus and paronycliia, are 
more or less developed in all groups, except in some of the sub- 
family JDanainm^ in the Acrminm^ and in the Papilioninm ; and they 
appear to attain their greatest development in the Sub-Family Nym- 
plialince. 
Taking into consideration all the details of structure above 
mentioned, and having regard to the earlier stages as well as to the 
adult or perfect state, an approximately natural arrangement of butter- 
flies is arrived at ; but, as is the case throughout Nature, the linear or 
serial classification, which for convenience has to be employed, can only 
very inadequately represent the affinities which exist. 
In consequence, originally, of Linne's beginning his genus Papilio 
(equivalent to the whole group of Butterflies) with his so-named 
Equites, and of these being naturally retained as the representatives of 
the restricted Papiliones, when that great genus was broken up into 
several others, it remained for many years the practice to place the 
Family Papilionidce at the head of the Sub-Order PJiopalocera, and 
to put between them and the HcspcridcB all the remaining groups. 
Though Herrich-Schaeffer in 1843 (^Syst. Bearh. der Sclimett. von 
Puropa, i. p. 16) amended this by commencing the series with the 
Nymplialides, continuing with the Libytheides and Erycinides, and 
placing the Picrides, Lyccenides, and finally the Equitides, next above 
the Hesperides (which he separated altogether from the other Butter- 
flies) ; yet, mainly I think from the influence of Boisduval's system, 
published in 1836, which placed the Siisp)cnsi (= entire Family 
Nymphalida3) between the Succincti {— Families Papilionidm and 
Lyccenidce and most Erycinidm) and the Piivoluti {—Hesperidm), the 
more natural classification was not adopted by entomologists generally. 
The magnificent Genera of Diurnal Lepidoptera of Doubleday and West- 
wood (1846—52) perpetuated the old arrangement, which was adopted 
by all English lepidopterists, and followed by myself in Blioipalocera 
Africce Australis (1862-66). The adoption of late years of the 
more natural system is mainly due to the able advocacy of it by Mr. 
H. W. Bates, whose memoirs dealing with the matter appeared in the 
Journal of Entomology (1861 and 1864) and in the Transactions of 
^ One of the genus Leptocircus. Doubleday {Gen. Diurn. Lep., i. p. 23) records this 
exception, at the same time mentioning that in the only other known species of the genus 
the claws are simple ! Blanchard, with evident reference to this case, abandons {Metam. etc. 
des Insectes, 1868, p. 160) the idea that the structure of the claws can be employed with 
any advantage in distinguishing genera or groups ; but this appears to me to be too sweeping 
a decision. 
