Oe ere ee ee 
i ey (gi¢ \ 
THE ENTOMO LOGIST 
Vor. ob. NAS, OCTOBER, 1916, Ag No. 64 
ON THE NORFOLK HESPERIA ALVEUS (recte H. 
ARMORICANUS, Oxsrur.), WITH SOME COLLATERAL 
MATTER. 
By James Epwarps, F.E.S. 
ActinG upon the suggestion of Mr. Rowland-Brown (antea, 
p. 88), I propose to add somewhat to the history of the butterfly 
found in Norfolk by the late Rev. T. H. Marsh and recorded 
under the name of Hesperia alveus, Hubn. In order to do this 
usefully some reference to the male genitalia will be necessary ; 
but I propose to deal with that subject simply as it affects 
practical taxonomics. So far as one can judge from the recent 
literature, it seems to be generally assumed by Lepidopterists 
that, in order to enjoy the advantages arising from the use of 
differential characters drawn from the male cenitalia, one must 
necessarily have recourse to a compound microscope and micro- 
scopic preparations; in practice one finds that this is by no 
means the case. This statement will doubtless be regarded by 
the ‘“‘ worker with the microscope” as rank heresy, but my 
present purpose is strictly practical; I simply desire to point 
out to the average student that he may have all that is worth 
having in this particular branch of investigation without making 
any very severe demands upon his time and eyesight. The 
useful differential characters are found in the last body-ring 
and its appendages, and therefore all that is needful is to cut 
off so much of the tip of the abdomen as will include the last 
complete ring, submit this to the action of damp air until the 
parts are thoroughly relaxed, clear off the scales and superfluous 
matter, and cut off the two ventro-lateral pieces at their junction 
with the ring. This gives us three portions, which may be 
gummed on a small piece of card and pinned in the cabinet 
by the side of the specimen; of course, with some distinctive 
mark to indicate with certainty the insect to which it belongs. 
Consecutive numbers answer this purpose very well; 1 have 
used them up to four figures with a satisfactory result. The 
last body-ring should be fixed on the card by its cephalad 
surface, and one clasp (ventro-lateral piece) should show the 
{ ENTOM.—OctTopER, 1916. f U 
