Genus Polites 



represented in the plate. On the under side the wings are paler, 

 with the light spots of the upper side faintly repeated. Expanse, 

 $ , 1. 15 inch; ? , 1.35 inch. 



Early Stages. — These are described in full with painstaking 

 accuracy by Scudder in " The Butterflies of New England." The 

 caterpillar feeds on grasses. 



The species ranges from southern New York to Florida, 

 thence westward and southward into Mexico. 



Genus POLITES, Scudder 



Butterfly. — The antennae and the palpi are as in the pre- 

 ceding genus; the neuration of the wings is also very much 

 the same. This is another genus founded by Dr. 

 Scudder upon the shape of the discal stigma in the 

 wing of the male. His description of this feature is 

 as follows: " Discal stigma of male consisting of an 

 interrupted, gently arcuate or sinuate streak of dead- 

 black retrorse scales or rods, edged below, especially 

 in the middle, by a border of similar, but dust- 

 colored, erect rods, and followed beneath by an p^^ 160 — 

 inconspicuous large area of loosely compacted, erect, Neuration of 

 d"^ky scales." ILfeXg^t 



Egg. — Approximately hemispherical, the height, 

 however, being greater than in the tgg of the preceding genus; 

 reticulated, the lines forming hexagonal figures upon the surface. 



Caterpillar, etc. — Of the stages beyond the egg we know as 

 yet comparatively little. The caterpillar feeds on grasses. 



(i) Polites peckius, Kirby, Plate XLVII, Fig. 24, 5 ; Fig. 

 25, ? (Peck's Skipper), 



Butterfly. — This little species, the upper side of which in 

 both sexes is correctly shown in the plate, has the under side of 

 the wings dark brown, with the light spots of the upper side 

 greatly enlarged, especially upon the disks of the wings, fused, 

 and pale yellow, thus contrasting strongly with the rest of the 

 wings. Expanse, $, , 1,00 inch; ?, 1.25 inch. 



Early Stages. — These are not thoroughly known as yet. The 

 larva feeds on grasses. 



Peck's Skipper ranges from Canada southward to Virginia, 

 and west to Kansas and Iowa, 



353 



