GRAPTA V. 
or coloration. Nearly all these are generic, that is, they belong to all the mem - 
bers of a group, and the last two only, markings and coloration, are relied on for 
separating species. These are always variable, and to distinguish between essential 
and non-essential variations is often very much a matter of individual judgment 
where one may be right or wrong and where opinions will differ. Many species 
are distinct beyond all doubt, but very often one form runs into another, or seems 
to branch from another, or several seem to be intermediate between two that are 
themselves distinct. To determine therefore which of these is a good species, and 
which is a variety, is difficult and almost always unsatisfactory. So in this un- 
certainty some naturalists name as distinct every form that presents differences 
that are tangible enough to be described intelligibly, while others rest upon the 
broad and comfortable ground that closely allied, or even tolerably distinct, forms 
in which there ean be shown intergrades, are to be classed as a species and its 
varieties. Notwithstanding, it is certain that, among the butterflies, the prepara- 
tory stages of such allied forms are often found to be abundantly distinct, as in the 
case of the Graptas C album, Satyrus and Comma, all of which, judging by the 
imago alone, might be considered as one species, and indeed have been by expert 
lepidopterists. Yet, the larvae of all of them being known, they are shown to be 
not merely distinct species but separated by a much wider interval than are many 
others. On the other hand, and exactly the reverse of this, imagos undeniably 
distinct may prove to be but one and the same species, as in the case of the two 
varieties of Interrogationis and the three of Ajax. 
No doubt very many of the present names of species of butterflies are to be re- 
garded as provisional, always subject to rectification. But before the first step can be 
taken towards correct knowledge, differing forms of imago must be distinguished 
by name so as to be recognised and their study faciliated, instead of being thrown 
together indiscriminately, and lost sight of as varieties of this or that species, when 
in most cases absolutely nothing is known about them, and any opinion is, at best, 
but guess-work. But when such forms are found by breeding from the egg to be 
only varieties, they will take their proper places in the Catalogues and yet lose no- 
thing of interest, and will help to form the material by which the naturalists of the 
happy future will read clearly the riddles that as yet perplex us. 
