TIESPERIDiE. 367 



Larva. — Elongate, contracted 011 second segment. Head large, sub- 

 triangular, but rounded superiorly, with a depression in the middle of 

 its upper edge. 



Pupa.— Stout, rounded ; abdomen tapering abruptly to a point. 

 Head with frontal projection short, slender, and acute; eye-covers 

 elevated, conical. Prothorax dorsally with a laterally projecting acute 

 prominence, like that on head, but shorter. In loose irregular web in 

 curled leaf; attached by the anal prominence (which is rather long, 

 stout, and curved), and with a free silken girth, giving off from its 

 middle point over the back a silken stay, attached to the leaf far away 

 from the attachments of the ends of the girth. 



(The above characters are taken from Mr. J. P. ]\Iansel "Weale's 

 notes and drawings of the larva of K. Forestall, and from pupa3 of that 

 species and H. Keithloa.) 



I have followed Mr. Butler (uj). cit.) in adopting as the type of 

 Hesperia the species which Fabricius in 1793 placed at the head of 

 his Hcspcrice Urhicolce { = the modern Family Hcspcridce), viz., the 

 Indian H. Exclamationis, Fab. From this species the type of Swain- 

 son's genus Ismcne, the Javan I. ccclipodea, Sws., cannot be generically 

 separated, the only differences presented by the latter being greater 

 width of fore-wings, and (in the $ only) a sub-basal velvety patch 

 on those wings. I had for some time supposed Wallengreu's genus 

 HJwjmlocampta to be a natural one, but npon closer comparison of the 

 three South-African species on which he founded it with others from 

 different regions recognised as species of Ismcne, Sws., I can find nothing 

 warranting its being kept apart. 



The genus Hesperia is readily recognised by the long, slender, 

 terminal joint of the palpi, and the very gradually thickened and then 

 attenuated antennne terminating in a very long thin hook. The species 

 composing it are all above the medium size in this Family, most of 

 them being large (above 2 inches in expanse), and one, the West- 

 African Iphis, Drury, quite a giant among the Hcsperidm, attaining an 

 expanse of over 3 inches. The colouring of Iphis, and of its nearest 

 congener, the considerably smaller Juno, Plotz, is very peculiar, viz., a 

 shining indigo-black or very dark bronzy-green upper side, with a 

 more decided submetallic and partly blue-shot under side, while the 

 head and palpi and under side of end of abdomen are deep-red. 

 West Africa also affords the most brilliant members of the genus, 

 H. Biecv, (L.), and H. CUcdyhe, (Westw.), in which the body and a 

 space from the bases of the wings above are of an intense glittering 

 blue shot with verditer-green. Most of the Hesperia: are, however, of 

 dull-brown and yellowish tints, often relieved on the under side of the 

 hind-wings by a white band. 



All the species are proper to the Old World ; out of about seventy 

 recorded, nearly half belong to India and other parts of the Oriental 



