The Butterflies of India ¹

Abstract

THE second volume of Colonel Bingham's important work on three butterflies of India includes the Papiliomdæpieridæ, and five out of the seven subfamilies in to which the author divides the Lycænidæ “provisionally … on the structural characters of the imago or perfect insect.” These subfamilies are Gerydinæ, Lycasninæ, Curetinæ, Liphyrinae, Poritinæ, Theiclinæ, and Arhopalinæ, of which the last two stand over until the next volume. The tables and descriptions are very carefully drawn up, and the illustrations, both coloured and uncoloured, the latter often representing venation, legs, and other important structural characters, are worthy of high praise. Some of the text-figures of large species are reduced. The transformations, broods, habits, flight, scent, stridulation, &c., of various butterflies are also fully discussed, especially the curious relationships between Lycaenidæ and their larvae and ants and aphides. We notice, however, that references to the transformations of common European species have generally been omitted; we are not certain whether this is done to save space (for it might have been thought hardly necessary to repeat information to be found in every European book on butterflies) or because Indian records of the transformations of these particular species happen to be wanting.