AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS. J23 



SPECIES 1.— NISONIADES TAGES. THE DINGY SKIPPER. 



Plate xxxviii. fig. 9 — 13. 



Synon\mes. — Papilio Tages, Liniiaus, Lewin, Pap. pi. 45, f. 3, 4. 

 Hawortb, Hairis Auiclian, pi. 34, fig. 0. 



Hesperia Tages, Fabiicius, Lcicl], Jcimyn. 



Thymele Tages, Fabricius (Gloss.), Stcpbcns, Duncan, Brit. Butt. 

 2, pi. I, r. 2. Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 3, f. 76. 



Thanaos Tages, Boisduval, II. n. Lcp. pi. 9, B fig. 8. 

 Nisoniades '/"uj/t-s, Iliibucr (Vera. bek. Scbiu.) 



The expansion of the wings of this species is about an inch and a quarter. The upper surface of the wings is 

 brown, the fore wings marked witli alternate waved bands of darker brown and grey, which in some specimens 

 are in bright relief against each otiior, and separated by paler zigzag marks ; in addition to which there are 

 several indistinct whitish dots, one brighter than the rest being placed near the extremity of the costa ; and there 

 is also a marginal row of dull white dots. The hind wings are bro-mi, with a small discoidal spot, beyond which 

 are two rows of nearly obsolete paler dots. Beneath, the colour is uniformly greyish brown, the fore wings not 

 shaded as above, but marked as well as the hind wings with the traces of the pale dots of the upper side. The 

 male is duller and more uniformly coloured than the female. 



The caterpillar is bright green, with the head brown, with yellow dorsal and lateral stripes dotted with black. 

 It feeds on the field Eryngo, and bird's-foot lotus. 



This species frequents woody pastures, heaths, &c., and is found at the beginning of Jlay, in June, and the 

 middle of July. It is by no means so common as Malvse. It appears to be very widely extended, for in 

 addition to the numerous localities in various parts of England given by BIr. Stephens, Jlr. Duncan mentions 

 several places in Scotland where it has also occurred. 



CYCLOPIDES, HuBNER. (STEROPES, Boisduv.vl.) 



The typical species of this group differs from the preceding, in its long acuminated fore wings, short hmd 

 wings, scarcely bent club of the antennas, and want of a fold at the base of the costa of the fore wings ; and from 

 the following, by the more slender body, differently formed club of the antonmc, and especially by the want of an 

 oblique black patch across the middle of the wings of the males, and the identity of colouring in the sexes. The 

 palpi are exserted, and as long as the head, with the terminal joint nearly concealed by hairs. The body m the 

 males is long and slender, and slightly tufted at the tip. The anti^iniM are short, with the club stout, nearly 

 straight, and not hooked at the tip. The wings arc brown, tessellated with bright orange spots of a square or 

 roundish form. A more important character, however, than any of the preceding, consists in the posterior tibia; 

 possessing only a pair of spurs at the tip. 



Boisduval's name for this group is inappropriate, not only because there is a coleopterous genus Steropus, but 

 also because one of the European Hesperiida; is also named Steropes. 



