196 W. H. Edwards on certain N. A. species of Satyrus. 



4. Satyrus Boopis, Behr. 



Annals of Cal. Acad. Nat. Sciences. (1864.) 



Dr. Behr, in a paper upon the Satyrides of California, (Annals &c. 

 186-4) speaks of Ariane, Alope, Nephele and Pegala, "as possibly 

 local aberrations of one far spread species," and again, of S. Bo'upis as 

 "only distinguishable from Nephele by the absence of eyes on the 

 under side of the hind wings," and that "it may perhaps prove a local 

 variety or aberration of that most polymorphous and far spread species 

 Alope." "In the meantime, until the connecting forms are found " 

 he " considers it to be specifically distinct." 



In nearly all cases, Nephele % has six spots on the under side of the 

 hind wings, but occasionally one, two or more are wanting. If, in Cali- 

 fornia, a form of Satyrus appears usually having no eyes on the under 

 side of the hind wind's, although otherwise not distinguishable from 

 Nephele, it appears to me it is properly regarded as a distinct species, 

 and not as a local variety. 



As to Nephele and Alope, the connecting forms are wanting, and, 

 all allowance being made for ordinary variations in size, shade of color, 

 size or number of certain spots or markings, one of these species does 

 not run into or approach the other so as to make it uncertain to which 

 of the two any given specimen belongs. 



The most that can be said is, that in some specimens of Nephele, of 

 both sexes, there is a tendency in certain characteristics to vary in the 

 direction of Alope. 



I have taken Alope and Nphele often and in many localities, and I 

 have brought together every shade of variation I was able to procure, 

 having had in mind this question of identity for some years. And I 

 have received specimens of one or other from collections in widely 

 separated parts of the country. 



I find that Nephele prevails in the Northern and Eastern States 

 among the highlands, in Northern Illinois, and in California and Ore- 

 gon. Alope prevails in the lowlands of New York and New England, 

 is the only species in New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, on the Ka- 

 nawha River, in West Virginia, in Southern Ohio and the southern 

 states next the Ohio River. How far south it is found I do not know. 

 It is not enumerated by Dr. Behr as found in California, nor have I 

 met with it in collections from that region. Mr. Walsh has never seen 

 it in Northern Illinois, while Nphele is there abundant. 



In the Catskill Mountains Nephele is a very common species. Liter- 

 ally hundreds of specimens may be taken in a morning. Alope 

 is found there very rarely, but on the Hudson River, immediately be- 



