LYC^NID^. 
9 
other families, or even to moths, and the three latter of which present 
the anomaly of completely articulated and clawed fore-tarsi in the 
male. This latter character decidedly indicates affinity with the sub- 
family Pierince of the Papilionidoe ; and a further minor feature of 
resemblance is fouiid in the reduced or obsolete spurs of the tibiae. 
The great mass of the Lyccenidce consists of small butterflies, and 
it is rare to find any that approach the middle size. In this respect 
they resemble the Erycinidce^ but the range of size is somewhat more 
extended, the smallest members of the genus Lyccena being barely half 
an inch across the expanded fore-wings, while the giant of the family, 
Liphyra Brassolis, Westw., reaches 3^ inches. Some of the larger 
species of Phytala, PJpitola, Thcda, and AviUypodia, however, reach or 
slightly exceed an expanse of 2^ inches; but a very large majority of 
Lyccenidce ranges between I inch and if inches. What these butter- 
flies want in stature is more than compensated by their great beauty ; 
very few of them are of dull colouring (except a good many of the 
females), and such as are so on one surface of the wings are very often 
of great splendour on the other. Intense and very generally highly- 
metallic uniform tints of purple, violet, blue, green, red, or orange 
prevail on the upper side, — the males, as usual, almost always much 
exceeding the females in brilliancy ; and the less dazzling but infinitely 
varied colouring and elaborate patterns of the under side (of close 
agreement in the sexes of each species), are often rendered still more 
effective by glittering goldea, silvery, or steely spots. No other 
family of butterflies exhibits such a striking and varied development 
of the appendages or " tails " borne on the hind-margin of the hind- 
wings, varying in number from one to three, and in length from a mere 
dentation to more than an inch, and often curiously widened, fringed, 
and twisted. In connection with these appendages, it may be noted 
that all, or nearly all, the Lycmnidce (as mentioned above in the general 
remarks on Khopalocera, under the heading, 5. Haunts and Habits"), 
when settled temporarily, have the custom of moving the hind-wings 
alternately up and down, so that their upper surfaces rub against 
each other,- — a movement which the tails," as well as the usual 
metallic-dotted eye-like spots on the hind-margin, render additionally 
noticeable. 
The Ethiopian Region has not hitherto yielded a very large number 
of species, only rather under 200 being recorded, but it is rich in 
genera, 22 of the 47 recognised by most authors being known to 
occur. Of these 22 genera, no less than 14 (or 13, if, as I think 
most probable, Reivitsonia, Kirby ( = Corydon, Boisd.), is not separable 
from PJpitola, Westw.) are limited to Africa, viz., Cajjys, ChrysorycJiia, 
Pentila, Ziptena, D'Urhania, Alcena, Phytala, Epitola, Deloncura, 
Pseuderesia, Ifimacrcea, Arrugia, and Lachnocncma. Those peculiar to 
Tropical Africa are Phytala, Epitola, Li2')tena, Pseuderesia, and Mimacrma. 
Southern Africa appears to be comparatively richer than the tropical 
