34 Journal New York Entomological Society, t^'oi- xxii. 



Reakirt and Behr were actively describing material and they even 

 contributed considerably to the synonymy by redescribing some of 

 Boisduval's species of 1852. Felder also named two species in 1865 

 for which Boisduval gave us new names in 1869, making in regard to 

 one a very curious confusion as he redescribed one of his own species 

 of 1852 by which, of course, his second name and Felder's name are 

 dropped into synonymy. 



In regard to a considerable number of Boisduval's species, our 

 present check lists are in a most chaotic condition. Some species have 

 stood with a question mark after them, always nomina ntida; others 

 have been put into the ignominous seclusion of synonymy, some justly;, 

 others unjustly, some ignorantly for the blues are frequently wrongly 

 referred. There is one interesting case of transposition of names, and 

 it is remarkable how this occurred. The only way to clear the con- 

 fusion is to systematically trace each species out and learn its history, 

 a tedious process of studying check lists. 



The publication of the first part of Volume IX of fitudes de 

 Lepidopterologie Comparee by Charles Oberthur, in which are fig- 

 ured the Boisduval types of California Lycsenidse, corrects the mis- 

 takes of two generations and gives us an opportunity to see what 

 Boisduval's names really mean. 



16.^ Thecla sylvinns has never before been recognized by Ameri- 

 can collectors but it is easily determined from the figure as a fairly 

 common California insect which has until now been misnamed in 

 collections. I have seen it under the label of itys, dryope, caJifornica 

 and even tacita. 



ly. Thecla auretorum has been equally unknown unless we take 

 Strecker's word for it that he knew the species, which is not at all 

 unlikely. Both tctra Behr and spadix Henry Edwards sink as syn- 

 onyms of this species. 



18. Thecla scrpmni as figured is interesting because of the pro- 

 nounced median lines of white spots shown in the figure. This is not 

 the usual form found, as judged by material found in eastern collec- 

 tions, because the white scales are obsolete to absent in most cases. 



19. Thecla grunns is well known and is easily recognized. 



20. Thecla iroides is a valid species closely allied to the eastern 

 augustus. I do not consider it a synonym as Dr. Henry Skinner states 

 in the Entomological News. vol. XXV, p. 47. 



1 The numbers and genera are those of the 1852 paper. 



