220 BULLETIN 15 7, U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Genus HYLEPHILA BiUberg 



HYLEPHILA PHYLAEUS (Drury) 



Plate 53, Figures 13, 14 



Occwn^ence. — Frequent in moist meadows. In the Schonborn col- 

 lection there are two males and two females taken on August 12 (2) 

 and 13, and on September 3, and I have a pair taken at Silver Spring 

 on September 2, 1927, and three males taken at Cabin John on Sep- 

 tember 23 (2) and October 13, 1928. 



It is common only in the Department of Agriculture grounds, 

 where it is to be seen in numbers about the flower beds in summer. 

 On August 12, 1929, it was particularly abundant about the helio- 

 trope and in the space of a few minutes' time I caught three fresh 

 females with my fingers. Dr. G. W. Rawson and Harold H. Shepard 

 have told me that they have seen it in numbers about these beds. 



In this region this species should occur in May as well as late in 

 summer and early in autumn. 



Rertho/rks. — This skipper has a very rapid sharply zigzag flight 

 with relatively little vertical skipping, like that of the sachem 

 {Atalopedes camipestris) with which it flies. It keeps always near 

 the ground or grass tops and is therefore easily overlooked. It is 

 especially fond of the flowers of the red clover {Trifolivmi pratSTise) 

 and of the mistflower {Eupatorium coelestinum) ^ and is sometimes 

 seen on asters, but it does not visit the higher flowers of the thistles, 

 which are especially the favorites of most of the late-summer skip- 

 pers. The females are less active and less shy than the males, the 

 difference in the habits of the two sexes being greater than in the 

 case of most of our skippers. 



Genus POLITES Scudder 



POLITES CORAS (Cramer) 



Plate 49, Figures 8 to 11 



Occurrence. — ^Very common in low fields everywhere. Except for 

 the least skipper {Ancyloxypha nwnitor) , this is the most abundant 

 of the smaller skippers in this region, but it is likely to be over- 

 looked because of its small size and its habit of keeping well down 

 in the grass. 



Mr. Shoemaker has taken it in the District, and there is a pair 

 from the District in the Schonborn collection. The National Mu- 

 seum contains a female labeled " coll. Quarantine House, Wash- 

 ington, D. C." 



