THE BUTTERFLY. 
449 
Genus I. — Papilio, the Butterfly. 
The antennae of this genus grow thicker, and are ge- 
nerally terminated with a knob or capitulum. When 
fitting, the wings are not folded down, but ere&ed fo 
that their extremities nearly touch each other above the 
body. They are diftinguilhed from the moths, by fly- 
ing in the day time. 
Of this genus there are 273 different fpecies, already 
known and deferibed : To prevent confufion, they have 
been arranged by lintueus into five diftinct claffes, viz. 
the equites, the heliconii, the danai, the nymphales and 
the plebeii* . Each of thefe claffes is characterized by 
fome particular part ; fo that every fpecies when examined, 
difeovers immediately to what clafs it ought to be refer- 
red. 
There is no clafs of infedts which hath been more ac- 
curately examined, or whofe hiftory hath been fo fully 
detailed, as that of the butterfly and moth. Two large 
volumes have been dedicated folely to this tribe by the 
indefatigable Reaumur. The metamorpbofis of infefts is 
better illuftrated by their hiftory, becaufe in them thefe 
changes are more frequent, and more perceptible. 
Some of thefe animals frequently call their (kin, be- 
fides undergoing thole more confiderable transformations 
Which introduce them into a new fphere of action ; be- 
Vol. III. 3 L fore 
* S^ftcma N^tura, Ord. III. Gen. 4. 
