PAMPHILIDI: THE GENUS AMBLYSCIRTES. 1577 



frontal incisure. Body very slender, uniform ; (Irst thoracic segment witli an equal, 

 naiTinv, transverse sliichl, reaclilnj; on either side to just above the spiracle; the 

 dermal appendages slender, with a scarcely porceptiljie thicliening at tip, arranged on 

 the abdouiinal segments as follows: a subdorsal series on tlie anterior portion of the 

 segment; a lateral scries in the middle of tlie segment; a suprastigmatal scries just in 

 advance of tlie middle, and an infrastigraatal series just l)eiiind the middle, one to a 

 segment in eadi series ; on tlie thoracic segments tlie arrangement is the same, ex- 

 cepting tliat the subdorsal scries becomes supralateral and is placed in the middle of 

 the segment; the sides of the second and third thoracic segments with a blister-like 

 spot in the middle; last segment with four recurved tapering hairs as long as the ex- 

 treme width of the body ; spiracle of the eight abdominal segment much elevated and 

 placed on the lateral line, being much higher than on the preceding segments. 



Mature caterpillar. Head rugose, of equal width with the body, square and 

 scarcely narrowed below, domed and subpyramidal above, with a slight but distinct 

 median notch, considerably higher than broad, appressed ; on a side view conical 

 above the lower third, the summit rounded; triangle half as high again as broad; 

 labrum deeply and roundly emarginate ; on either side of It, the interior angle of the 

 head just next the base of the triangle is produced to form a conical, pointed, slightly 

 incurved, horny spine, as long as the labrum. Ocelli five in number, four in an an- 

 terior, vertical, curving row, equidistant, and one posterior, as small as the interior 

 two of the row. Mandibles massive, not serrate. 



Body equal in breadth throughout; the first thoracic segment scarcely smaller, 

 with a very narrow, almost linear shield, in a fold reaching nearly to the stigmata 

 and broken in the middle; the last abdominal segment not at all narrowed, but con- 

 siderably flattened and declivent, very broadly rounded and almost truncate pos- 

 teriorly ; the other segments with a very broad, anterior subsegment, almost as broad 

 as the other five subequal, plicate subsegments, and with the posterior part of its own 

 area marked off to an equal width to form a more or less distinct subsegment. The 

 body is rather broader than high througliout, highest in the middle and flattened be- 

 neath, so as to nearly conceal the short legs and prolegs. Legs rather heavily haired 

 on the under surface. 



Chrysalis. Long, slender and cylindrical, more than four times as long as broad, 

 with scarcely distinct thoracic and abdominal swellings ; head somewhat protuberant, 

 with distinct, rounded, frontal and ocellar swellings, the sides straiglit and slightly 

 narrower than the thorax. As seen from above, the sides of the body are nearly 

 parallel, broadest near second abdominal segment, the last four abdominal segments 

 tapering conically to a much depressed, slightly falcate cremaster, its edge and especially 

 itsapical edge, studded with hooks in the same plane. Thoracicspiracle large, obovate, 

 but scarcely protuberant, only convex. Wings reaching the middle of the fourth 

 abdominal segment; tongue to the proximal edge of the eiglith. Position of the pro- 

 logs of the larva marked by callous protuberances, beset with short, spinous hairs. 



This genus is confined to North America between Lat. 15° and Lat. 

 50° N., exchiding the Antilles. A single species is found at Tehiiantepec, 

 another in the arid regions of Arizona, while two others extend over the 

 greater part of the eastern United States, one of them crossing the conti- 

 nent, and occur throughout nearly the whole of New England, never, 

 however, in any great abundance. 



The butterflies are among the smallest of the Hesperidae, very dark 

 brown, the outer half of the fore wings with a few pale spots, and the under 

 surface of the hind wings heavily powdered with pale scales and sometimes 

 with small scattered pale spots ; the fringe is always interrupted, pale and 

 dark. They frequent open spots and when at rest assume the Pamphilidan 

 attitude. ,^ 



