THECLA I. 



and very much to my surprise it proved to be a perfect specimen of Icrta female, 

 that doubtless had been at rest on the vine, and chilled l)y the cool morning air 

 had been suddenly jarred from its place into the hole. The difference in color be- 

 tween the male and female is much of the same nature as between the sexes of 

 Thecla Poeas, the female being much more highly ornamented with blue than the 

 male. The sexes in Thecla have similar markings on under surface and are easily 

 identified by that means. On comparison, this female proved to be identical with 

 Thecla ClothUde, which I described in 18t)3 from a worn and faded specimen re- 

 ceived from Rev. Mr. Provancher, near Quebec, having then no suspicion of its 

 affinity to lata. 



Mr. Scudder, in his Supplement to a List of the Butterflies of New England 

 (Proc. Bod. Soc. Nat. Hist. 1868), mentions ClothUde as having been taken near 

 Paris, Maine, on 22nd July. 



The Theclas are widely disjiersed, but are rarely met with and are difficult of 

 capture from their extreme restlessness and activity, darting about with so rapid, 

 jerking a motion that it is almost impossible for the eye to follow them. The jjre- 

 sent species is tropical in its coloring and seems quite out of latitude in the North- 

 ern States. 



THECLA ACADICA. 5—7. 



Therla Acadica, Edwards, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pliila. 1862. 



Male. Expands 1.2 inch. 



LTpper side dark brown ; costal edge of primaries red ; on the disk a smooth 

 oval spot; secondaries have a single tail (unless the very slight projection at extrem- 

 ity of the second median nervule be so designated) which is black, edged towards an- 

 al angle and tipped with white ; from its base a bluish white line extends along the 

 margin to the anal angle ; the space next above this line s])rinkled slightly with 

 fulvous scales making a broad band more or less distinct, which terminates beyond 

 the tail in a clear fulvous spot ; fringe of both wings fuscous, at the anal angle 

 black, next before the tail v/hite, beyond it black through which runs a white line. 



Under side grey with a pearly lustre (but sometimes brownish-grey or even 

 sordid grey-white) ; on primaries a short discal bar edged with white ; beyond 

 this, a beat, transverse row of black spots each surrounded by white, the one 

 next costa minute, the next three round, fourth and fifth oval and sixth double ; 

 within and along the margin a row of elongated pale fulvous spots, gradually be- 

 coming obsolete towards apex, narrowly edged on the inner side by black on 

 which rests a line of bluish-white. 



