62 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



years, took the next three specimens, one of which he has lately exchanged 

 to Mr. Salle. Again, on Dec. 31st, '72, under some board traps in dry 

 grass, near water, my first specimen occurred, and for three succeeding 

 days a unique was taken. Their habits are probably gregarious, living on 

 the ground, and as the collecting grounds in the vicinity of New Orleans 

 are limited, owing to swamps, they may be found to occur more plentifully 

 in Northern La. They are very active and graceful, taking alarm at the 

 least noise, and run with great rapidity, keeping the antennae in constant 

 vibration ; when placed in a collecting bottle containing Cyanide of Potas- 

 sium, they would seize hold of some other insect and proceed to drag it 

 off, imitating certain species of ants. The drug, however, quickly quiets 

 them. 



ON MR. SCUDDER'S SYSTEMATIC REVISION OF SOME OF 



THE AMERICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



BY AUG. R. GROTE., BUFFALO, N. Y. 

 [PAPER NO. 2.] 



Since it is conceded that the law of priority is invariable in its applica- 

 tion to zoological nomenclature, it remains for us to apply it to the 

 determination of our Butterflies. That some inconveniences may arise 

 from the correction of errors, does not militate against our desire to be 

 right. The question is, are Mr. Scudder's genera well founded, or, are his 

 names entitled to precedence, not is it convenient for us to use them. 

 Without as yet entering an extended discussion upon the structural 

 characters of our Butterflies, we will briefly notice Mr. Scudder's genera. 



1. Oeneis, Rub?ier (18 16.) The type and first species mentioned 

 under this name by Hubner is Noma. While five species are cited under 

 this genus, Hubner refers two more to Eumenis, viz. : aello and tarpcja. 

 But the type of Eumenis is E. autonoe. It is difficult to avoid the con- 

 clusion that we must retain Oeneis to be correct, while regretting the 

 necessary abandonment of Chionobas, so sonorous and accustomed a name. 

 In our North American fauna we have, besides the species cited by Mr. 

 Scudder, Oen. chryxus and Oen. Uhleri, described under Chionobas by 

 Doubleday and Reakirt. Chionobas Stretchii. Edw., does not belong to 



