OF NORTH AMERICA. 123 



take on the wing. It flies in tlie hot sunshine from ten to three 

 o'clock. 



3.— LEPTARCTIA. DIMIDIATA. N. S. (PI. 5, fig. 7, 8, 9, 10.) 



$, . — Head and its appendages black. Patagia, thorax and abdomen 

 black, the latter with faint traces of a red lateral line. There is a nar- 

 rovv whitish line in the outside of the prothorax, a narrow whitish line 

 on the patagia and a few whitish scales on the vertex, sometimes more 

 or less obsolete. Legs black, inside of femora rose colored. 



Anterior wings smoky black, with four small whitish spots, the 

 largest on the costa opposite the discal vein, the second midway be- 

 tween it and the apex, the third near the anal angle, the fourth being 

 a narrow longitudinal streak under the median vein at the base of the 

 wing. The smallest of these spots are often obsolete ; there are often 

 several additional minute dots on the apical half, and not unfre- 

 quently the spots are increased to a diffuse, irregular, transverse me- 

 dian band as in fig. 9. Fringes varying from dirty white to black. 



Posterior wings black, darker than the primaries, immaculate, or 

 with a small reddish discal dot. Fringes as on primaries. 



Beneath the anterior wings are largely black at the base, with a black 

 apical cloud narrowly produced along the outer margin, enclosing a 

 small yellowish costal dot. The central portion of the wing is yellow- 

 ish (fig. S) or tinged with scarlet towards the base (fig. 9), but the 

 yellow type is the more frequent. Secondaries entirely black. The 

 coloration is more constant beneath than above. 

 ? unknown. 



Expanse of ivings, 1.15 to 1.25 inches. Length of body, 0.45 inch. 



Habitat. — California, (Coll. Edwards, Stretch.) 



This species is not infrequent in the mountains both north and south 

 of San Francisco; it is more abundant than L. Decia, but not so com- 

 mon as L. Lena, though found on the wing in company with, and 

 generally in the same localities as the latter. Out of about forty speci- 

 mens belonging to this genus taken in the same spot, and at the same 

 time, about twenty per cent, were referable to the present species, all 

 the remainder to L. lena. Like its congeners it is found in open 

 wooded localities where the underbrush is thick, and probably feeds 

 on low herbaceous plants. 



