264 THECLA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



insects that fly by, always returning to the same spot after such a flight. At rest the wings are always 

 closed. In contrast to Callophriis they have apparently only one broad and have so far almost exclusively 

 been found in the mountains, where they go up to 6000 ft. The species of the North American genus 

 Incisalia Men. are closely allied to Satsmmi. 



frivaldszkyi. S. fflvaldszkyi Led. (= coerulescens Motxch.) (72 f ). Above blackish brown, dusted with bluish grey, 



particulaily at the base, cf with a very small yellow scent-patch at the edge of the cell; hindwing with 

 curved median bands which form the border of the darker basal area. Extending from the Altai through 

 ferrea. Central Asia, Siberia and Mongolia to Amurland. — ferrea Btlr. (= frivaldszkyi Prijer) (72 f) is the eastern 

 form from Corea and Japan; it is larger, the upperside being more evenly dusted with iron-grey to the 

 margin and the orange-yellow scent-patch of the cf being much larger. Not rare from March into June; 

 the butterflies belong in Japan to the very first species in the spring. 



pratti. S. pratti Leech (72 f). Larger, the upperside duller, dusted with pale iron-grej- at the base, the 



scent-patch of the cf being dark , instead of yellow. Distal margin more distinctly dentate ; the hindwing 

 beneath darker, with conspicuous white markings. — In Central and West China, at I-chang, singly, in 

 June and July. 



nicevillei. S. niccvillei Leech (72 f). This mountain form has the upperside of the forewing dusted with bright 



blue except for a rather narrow costal border and the outer margin, and moreover, is recognized by the 

 very distinctly spotted fringes and the large dark scent-patch at the apex of the cell on the forewing of the o'. 

 The underside is very uniform in colour, the discal lines being slightly edged with white. The anal lobe 

 more pointed than in pratti and the hindmargin more deeply sinuate proximally to it. — Chang- Yang in 

 Central China, 6000 ft. This species is perhaps the same as the only non-Palaearctic one, which de Nice- 

 viLLE described from the Khasia Hills (Leech). 



circe. S. circc Leech (72 f, g). Above dark, but the basal area of both wings entirely dusted with bright 



metallic blue. The scent-spot yellow, as small as in frivaldszkfii. Hindwing beneath rather uniform in colour, 

 with a somewhat flexuose discal line and a crenate submarginal one, the former separating the dark brown 

 basal area from the much paler outer area. — A small form from West China, not rare at Ta-tsien-lu in 

 May and June. 



dialybea. S. chalybea Leech (72 g). Somewhat larger than frivaldszkyi, above more bluish grey than leaden- 



grey proximally, the discal lines of the underside not edged with whitish. The scent-patch of the o" yellow, 

 but much smaller than in frivaldszkiji. The underside with 3 — 4 dark undulate lines parallel with the outer 

 phito. margin. Central China. — plutO Leech (72 g) is almost entirely deep black above; the discal lines of the 

 underside of the hindwing broader and darker; West-China. — In June and July. 



13. Genns: Thecla F. 



Although closer examination, especially by English authors, has shown that there is no justification 

 for uniting all the following forms in one genus, we follow nevertheless the usual custom and deal under 

 Thecla with all the small or medium-sized species with dark upperside and longer or shorfei- tails. The cf 

 bears, as in the previous genus, an ovate scent-patch near the apex of the cell on the forewing; the upper- 

 side of the cf is otherwise usuallj- quite unicolorous, bearing in the ? a diffuse, more or less yellow or red, 

 discal patch on the forewing. The underside, too, is generally unicolorous, being somewhat paler than the 

 upperside, but before the outer third there are lines composed of small spots, forming W-like markings before 

 the anal area of the hindwing which are variegated with red, yellow or blue. 



Head small, densely scaled, bearing dispersed hairs; frons flat, hardly projecting between the eyes. 

 The latter slightly hairy, more densely in the upper third. Antennae thin and rather short, always less 

 than half the length of the forewhig. Palpi thin, moderately long, bearing bristly hairs, the third segment 

 smoothly scaled. Forewing triangular, the outer margin usuallj- straight in the cf, somewhat convex in the 2 

 Hindwing without teeth, the margin curved, the anal angle produced, often with 1 or 2 very thin tails 

 above it. Egg depressed, even a little concave above, with a network of irregular channels. Larva similar 

 to that of Callophrys, onisciform, green or brown, with oblique dorso-lateral spots. Pupa very smooth, all 

 parts rounded, not dissimilar to a large scale-insect, closely applied to a branch with the anterior surface. 

 The butterflies have an irregular but rather fast flight, occurring at the edges of woods, on road-sides and 

 in nurseries of fruit-trees. They are usually found singly, but are more plentiful in some years. They visit 

 flowers and rest with closed wings on the leaves of shrubs, on which they sometimes walk about. They 

 have only one brood and hibernate as egg or larva. 



