14 
ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY 
[PAKT III 
region ; so that there are 4 families peculiar to America. These 
four families comprise 68 genera and more than 800 species ; 
alone constituting a very important feature in the entomology of 
the region. But in almost all the other families there are 
numbers of peculiar genera, amounting in all to about 200, or 
not far short of half the total number of genera in the world — 
(431). We must briefly notice some of the peculiarities of the 
several families, as represented in this region. The Danaidas 
consist of 15 genera, all peculiar, and differing widely from the 
generally sombre-tinted forms of the rest of the world. The 
delicate transparent- winged Ithomias of which 160 species are 
described, are the most remarkable. Melincea, Napeogenes, 
Ceratina and Dircenna are more gaily coloured, and are among 
the chief ornaments of the forests. The Satyridee are repre- 
sented by 25 peculiar genera, many of great beauty ; the most 
remarkable and elegant being the genus Hcetera and its allies, 
whose transparent wings are delicately marked with patches of 
orange, pink, or violet. The genus Morpho is perhaps the 
grandest development of the butterfly type, being of immense 
size and adorned with the most brilliant azure tints, which in 
some species attain a splendour of metallic lustre unsurpassed 
in nature. The Brassolidse are even larger, but are crepuscular 
insects, with rich though sober colouring. The true Heliconii 
are magnificent insects, most elegantly marked with brilliant 
and strongly contrasted tints. The Nymphalidae are represented 
by such a variety of gorgeous insects that it is difficult to select 
examples. Prominent are the genera Catagramma and Callithea, 
whose exquisite colours and symmetrical markings are unique 
and indescribable ; and these are in some cases rivalled by 
Agrias and Prepona, which reproduce their style of coloration 
although not closely allied to them. The Erycinidse, consisting 
of 59 genera and 560 species, comprise the most varied and 
beautiful of small butterflies ; and it would be useless to attempt 
to indicate the unimaginable combinations of form and colour 
they present. It must be sufficient to say that nothing elsewhere 
on the globe at all resembles them. In Lyctenidse the world- 
wide genus Theda is wonderfully developed, and the South 
