NYMPHALIK^. 
187 
that the swiftest and most active, and very many of the largest and 
most splendidly-coloured, butterflies belong. Such conspicuous and 
familiar forms as the Fritillaries, Vanessa3, and Apaturce of Europe 
are replaced or accompanied in the warmer parts of the world by very 
numerous allies of far greater size, brilliancy, and speed. Every 
variety of outline, pattern, and coloration is to be found in this group, 
which may be said to culminate in the magnificent genera 3Iorpho of 
South America and TJiaumantis of the Oriental Region, — butterflies 
whose beauty and great size are unequalled except in the groups 
Brassolince and Fapilioninoe. These giants among butterflies are 
not, however, remarkable for swift flight, the palm for speed being 
assignable to the more powerfully-built allies of Apatura^ such 
as the Old- World genus Char axes and the American Prepona and 
Agrias. 
Though exceedingly active and alert, nearly all the Nymphalvm 
have the habit of keeping about some spot of limited extent, even the 
swiftest of them, after darting away at a speed which the eye can 
hardly follow, returning again and again to the same place, and often 
to the very same favourite flower or twig. 
Of the twenty genera known to occur in South Africa, none is 
endemic, but nine are limited in range to the Ethiopian Region, 
viz., LaclinopUra^ Crenis, Euralia^ Pscudacrcca^ Eurypliene^ Eaphcedra, 
Hamanumida, Harma^ and Godartia. All the remaining genera 
extend through the Ethiopian Region, and have a more or less 
extensive range beyond it, viz., Eurcma in Central and South 
America ; Precis^ Salamis, Eiirytela, and Hypanis over much of the 
Oriental Region ; while Neptis and Charaxes add to that range 
Southern Europe and Australia ; and Atella, Australia and some of the 
groups of the Pacific Islands ; Junonia and Diadema extending over 
yet wider regions, omitting Europe, but including a great part of 
America ; and Pyrameis being truly cosmopolitan. 
The genus best represented in South Africa is Charaxes (fifteen 
species), and next to it Precis (twelve species). Crenis and Pseuclacrma 
have each four representatives ; Junonia, Nep)tis, and Pitralia, three ; 
Atella, Purema, Salaniis, and Piirytela, two ; and the remaining nine 
genera one species only. 
The NyniphalincB afford some of the most striking cases of mimicry 
yet discovered among butterflies. The genera LimenitiSj Hcstina, and 
Diadema include several very exact copies of sundry species of Danais 
and Puploea ; but Puralia and Psendacrcca seem really to depend for 
their existence upon accurately mimicking the species of Amauris and 
certain Acrccinoe. Some of these cases have been already mentioned 
above, and will again be referred to under the Nymphaline genera in 
question. 
