Ochsenheimer's Genera of the Lepidoptera of Europe. 343 



be desirous of vindicating yourself from all possible suspicion 

 of ambiguity and of inconsistency. 



I am, dear sir, with great respect, yours, &c. 



Waterloo Place, Oct. 13, 1828. * * * *. 



LX. An Abstract of the Characters of Ochsenheimer's Genera 

 of the Lepidoptera of Europe; with a List of the Species of 

 each Genus, and Reference to one or more of their respective 

 Icones. By J. G. Children, F.R.S. L. % E. F.L.S. $c. 



[Continued from p. 287-] 



Genus 9. LYCiENA, Fab. 

 Thecla et Hesperia, Fab. Polyommatus, Latr. 



Argyreus, Argus, Pterourus, Battus etGRAPHiUM, Scop. 

 Cupido, Schrank. Rustici, Hiibn. 



Fam. A. — Legs, first pair shorter than the rest. 



Wings, upper surface generally blue, especially in the males ; 

 in the females often brown, with a row of reddish-yellow 

 spots near the exterior margin; under surface almost 

 constantly grayish, with numerous ocelli with black pu- 

 pils surrounded by white irides*. 



Antennce filiform, terminated by an elongated, compressed club. 



Larva onisciform ; head black, and, as well as the feet, very 

 small, and scarcely perceptible; the body laciniate as 



* Latreille at first subdivided his genus Polyommatus into three great 

 groups, — les pctits-porte~queue, les argus, and les bronzes ; and subsequently 

 he established several smaller sections in each of those subdivisions. Mr. 

 Stephens has arranged the British Lyccenidtu in the three genera Thecla, 

 Lyccena, and Polyom?natus, including in the first, those insects "distin- 

 guished by the sombre tints of the upper surface of their wings, and the 

 pale streaks with which they are adorned below j by the pubescence of the 

 eyes, the abbreviated, triangular anterior wings, and the ovate-triangular 

 posterior ones, which are usually furnished near the anal angle with one or 

 more short linear tails, or are strongly denticulated on that part." — "The in- 

 digenous Lyccence are known by the brilliant coppery tints which adorn the 

 greater portion of the disc of the upper surface of the wings f* and though 

 considerable diversity of habit and form prevails amongst the Polyovimati t 

 they are in general distinguished by the rich blue tints with which their wings 

 are enlivened. 



The Lyccence, he adds, are further discriminated from the Theclce by 

 their naked eyes, and by the want of the tail-like appendages to their pos- 

 terior wings; and from the Polyommati, by the abrupt obtuse club of the 

 antennae, the more evidently denticulated posterior wings, and the superior 

 size of the pulvilli, or foot-cushions. — The antennas of Stephens's Poly- 

 ommati have an abrupt compressed club, terminating in a lateral point ; 

 those of the Theclce have the club elongate, cylindric-oval.— See Illustr. of 

 Brit. Entom. vol. i. (Haustellata), p. 75 — 83. 



usual, 



