221 [Scudder. 



lata they are separated by a channel more distinct toward the tip, so 

 as nearly to hide the carination, the tips subdivaricate ; but the parts 

 vary so much in the specimens before me of ruble unci ula that I am in- 

 clined to think that a larger number of specimens of assimilata would 

 show less constancy of character than the few I have examined possess, 

 and bridge over the very narrow chasm which now seems to separate 

 them. There are specimens of ruhicundula too in Mr. Uhler's collec- 

 tion w^hich have a more suffused amount of coloration upon the wings 

 than some of his specimens of assimilata have. 



But if there are two species here, the ruhicundula of Say must be 

 referred to the species described under that name by Ilagen, and not 

 to the assimilata of Uhler as argued by Walsh ; the tAvo species, if 

 they be two, do not dijQfer as Walsh states, in the color of the legs nor 

 in size, they both agree perfectly well with the description of the norm 

 as given by Say, of his ruhicundula ; though his description of the va- 

 riety with discolored wings is more characteristic of assimilata. Now 

 Harris received from Say specimens of his ruhicundula^ as will be seen 

 by Say's description, and there are in the cabinet of Dr. Harris, spe- 

 cimens which are marked on his MS. catalogue as some of them re- 

 ceived from Say and labelled ruhicundula by him; there are four spe- 

 cimens marked so either by Say or Harris ; three of these are plainly 

 vicina of Hagen, but vicina of Hagen cannot be the ruhicundula of 

 Say, as a comparison of the description will show, for the abdomen of 

 vicina has no lateral black vitta, and is not of so deep a color as san- 

 guineous ; the superior anal appendages of the $ have a tooth not on 

 the inferior middle but much nearer the tip ; it has only six or at most 

 seven postcubitals instead of about nine ; the remaining single speci- 

 men is probably that received from Say himself, and is the ruhicundula 

 and not the assimilata of Hagen, so that I am inclined to think Hagen 

 and not Walsh, is right in the determination of the locus of Say's ruhi- 

 cundula. Of the truth of this determination Mr. Uhler, through 

 whose kindness I have been permitted to examine considerable series 

 of ruhicundula, assimilata and vicina, some received from Messrs. Ha- 

 gen and Walsh, is now persuaded, on a reexamination of the speci- 

 mens since he gave in bis adhesion to Mr. Walsh's view ; he is also 

 incHned to doubt with me the propriety of separating the two as dis- 

 tinct species. 



I do not think however that Hagen can be correct in referring the 

 L. amhigua of Rambur to the L. ruhicundula of Say, for the legs of Z. 

 ruhicundula are not "jaunatre " but blackish, and the whole particular 

 description of these parts by Rambur is incorrect as applied to ruhi- 

 cundula. " Ailes sans tachejaune sensible a la base " is not true of 

 ruhicundula, all the wings in all specimens show some trace ; the 

 pterostigma is not "blanchatre " at the extremities, but only paler. 



Nor in these respects, save in the very last, will it apply any better to 



