This guide is ideal for anyone interested in butterflies and especially for those who wish to start a collection. The first part of the book contains general information about the life of butterflies, including their origins, classification in the animal kingdom, development of individual stages, body structure, variability, distribution, useful and destructive roles in nature, enemies and diseases. The pictorial section contains nearly 300 colour illustrations with accompanying descriptions of the individual species and useful at-a-glance information panels. The third section gives information on hunting methods, breeding and setting butterflies for display purposes. An index of Latin and common names is also included.