136 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEAV ENGLAND. 



Beneath the fore loings are slightly paler tiiaii upon the upper surface ; the costal 

 mariiin is marked with blackish and whitish,— as a general rule, more so away from 

 the base, broadening into a spot at the apex, which, however, does not usually en- 

 croach on the loAver subcostal interspace, except to form a similar border to the outer 

 margin as far as the second median nervule ; when the ocellus of the upper surface 

 is present, it is repeated beneath, just as minutely, but generally distinctly white 

 pupilled; the only other marking which is generally seen upon all specimens is an indis- 

 tinct dusky broad band, bordering the outer limits of the cell ; it is most perceptible at 

 its outer borders, one of which follows the nervule closing the cell, the other lies 

 beyond, not quite parallel to it, but rather more nearly at right angles to the costal 

 border ; this band extends to the third median nervule, or if it exists beyond it, it is 

 either continued as a fuscous blotch to the second median nervule, or the darker 

 streak of its outer margin only is bent toward the base, suljparallel to the outer marghi 

 of the wing, and continues as far as the lirst median nervule; besides these, there is 

 usually a freckling of the Aving with brown, either uniformly distributed or, more 

 frequently, more distinctly on the outer half and especially the upper portion of it; or 

 it is wholly conlined to the outer half, sometimes clustering into short transverse 

 streaks, especially between the extremity of the cell and the outer margin. Basal 

 portion of the hind loinr/s marbled with blackish or blackish brown and grayish white, 

 very seldom uniformly distributed, the latter conspicuous only as a stripe bordering 

 the mesial band and broadest next the costal border, the latter generally obscuring 

 entirely the rest of the basal held and sometimes almost or quite obliterating the gray- 

 ish band; the mesial band is very broad, colored more uniformly and darker in pro- 

 portion to the rest of the wing than is usually the case with the allied species, 

 marbled with l)lackish and grayish fuscous, occasionally tinged slightly Avith ochrace- 

 ous, the black condensing, as it Avere, along the l^orders into narroAv stripes, Avhile the 

 rest of the band is generally almost uniform in tint and does not often deepen in color 

 from the middle ; its interior margin, in passing from the costal border beyond the 

 middle of the basal half, is generally bent outwards before reaching the subcostal 

 nervure so as to form a slight generally angular pit ; and then passing a little Avay 

 beyond the subcostal nervure is bent very deeply into a V-shaped, occasionally U- 

 shaped, depression, extending nearly to the inner border, the bottom of the depres- 

 sion reaching nearly, very seldom quite, to the origin of the lirst median nervule; — but 

 there are not Avanting specimens Avliere the inner l^order of the mesial band crosses the 

 Aving Avith only a slight trace of any depression ; the usual direction of the exterior 

 border of the mesial l)and may ])e said to be that of tAvo nearly or quite straight 

 crenulate lines, bent upon the third median nervule, an interspace's Avidth beyond the 

 extremity of the cell, at an angle of about 85° or 90°, occasionally projecting into a 

 slender tooth at this point ; one end of the band strikes the costal border at such a 

 point that a line draAvn from it at right angles to the margin Avould strike about mid- 

 way betAveen the origin of the second and third subcostal nervules ; the other strikes 

 the inner border at a point as far from the tip of the tirst median nervule as that is 

 from the middle of the subcosto-median interspace at the border ; the angle of the 

 exterior border of the mesial band is, hoAvever, often obscured by a more or less 

 regular curve to tlie Avhole line, Avhicli again is uoav ami then indented, but it almost 

 invariably shoAvs a tendency to return to this angular appearance, and the continuous 

 bascAvard direction of the border as it approaches the costal margin is a peculiar 

 feature in this species ; beyond the mesial band, the Aving is marbled Avith blackish 

 broAvn, grayish ochraceous and grayish Avhite, the latter almost ahvays condensed, and 

 connected so as to form a stripe bordering the mesial band, rarely tinged faintly Avitli 

 bluish ; sometimes the blackish broAvn is collected into marginal spots at the nervule 

 tips ; very seldom indistinct Avhitish dots are present in the interspaces midAvay be- 

 tAveen the mesial l)and and the outer margin; occasionally, though bvU very seldom, 

 the outer half of the Avingis uniformly marl>led throughout, and in some individuals the 

 Avhole Aving is covered Avith nearly uniform marl^ling or is so obscured by l)lackish 

 that the markings here descril^ed are almost Avholly if not quite indistinguishable; tlie 

 ujrvures are not flecked Avith Avhite. 



