4 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [Jan., *I2 



ieures est beaucoups plus largement roussatre, ce que fait que le vert 

 domine moins." 



A free translation into English is as follows : 



"This Thecla quite resembles our Rubi and may well be considered 

 a simple local variety of that species. It resembles it on upper side, 

 except that the secondaries are less denticulated and the anal palette 

 nearly void; on under side, the line of white spots is more marked 

 and the surface of the primaries is much more russet colored, which 

 makes the green less predominant." 



Thus we see that Boisduval describes dumetorum as quite 

 like T. rubi, although with some minor points of difference. 

 We must therefore obtain some information concerning rubi, 

 especially its correct description. 



From Meyrick's Handbook of British Lepidoptera, 1895 



P- 343 : 



"T. rubi. L. 25-31 mm. fore wings and hind wings rather dark fus- 

 cous, ochreous tinged ; hind wings with termen waved. Wings be- 

 neath rather metallic green, fore wings becoming fuscous dorsally 

 sometimes with white postmedian line; hind wings sometimes with 

 postmedian white line or series of dots. 



Britain to Ross, Ireland, common ; Europe, N. and W. C. Asia, 

 Japan, N. Africa ; 5, 6. Larva green ; dorsal line lighter, darker 

 edged; subdorsal series of oblique subconfluent streaks, edged be- 

 neath with dark green; spiracular line yellow; head pale brown; on 

 Genista, Cytisus, Ulex, and V actinium; 6, 7. Pupa subterranean." 



With this description before us, we see that dumetorum, be- 

 ing quite like rubi, has "fore wings * * sometimes with 

 postmedian white line ; hind wings sometimes with postmedian 

 white line or series of dots." An English collector has written 

 Mr. E. J. Newcomer, of Palo Alto, Cal. : "It has been noticed 

 that in some northern localities there is an inclination to de- 

 velop the white markings into a series of dots across all the 

 wings. The spotless form seems more noticeable in the South." 



It is very evident then that specimens of our common green 

 Thecla with well marked spots were received by Boisduval and 

 named dumetorum. 



Dumetorum was probably named from a limited or moderate 

 series of specimens. A careful study of a long series and a 

 close comparison with specimens of T. rubi has brought out a 



