; PLATE XXXI. 
No, 1.—The Lulworth Skipper Butterfly (Pamphila No. 5.—The Female of the Small Skipper. 
Acteon). No. 6.—The Small Skipper, showing the Under 
No. 2.—The Female of the Lulworth Skipper. side. 
No. 3.—A dark variety of the Lulworth Skipper. No, 7.—The Caterpillar of the Small Skipper. 
No. 4.—The a Skipper Butterfly (Pamphila No. 8.—The Chrysalis of the Small Skipper. 
Linea). 
THE genus Pamphila. The insects assigned to this genus are distinguishable at once from 
the other Skippers by the conspicuous diagonal line of velvety black which marks the wings of 
the males ; also by the generally paler colours of the females, and the absence in that sex of the 
black mark above alluded to. The female of P. Linca has both pairs of wings paler than those 
of the male. The female of P. Sylvmus has the wings more chequered, as well as paler than 
those of the male, and the same may be said of the female of P. Acton. There is much less 
distinction in the colours of the males and females of the other Skippers. In repose the front 
wings are often held erect, while the hinder pair remains in a horizontal position. 
Pamphila Acteon (the Lulworth Skipper, Nos. 1 to 3). This rare British insect cannot for 
a moment be mistaken for the common P. Lincw by an experienced collector, though when I 
first took specimens of it at Shenstone, near Lichfield, many years ago, being a very young 
entomologist, I inadvertently placed the specimens in my collection as varieties of P. Linea, 
not being at that time acquainted with the other species. The Caterpillar is unknown, but, as 
Mr. Stainton states, the female has been seen to deposit its eggs on the Wocd-reed (Caulamagrostis 
epigejos). The perfect insect appears in July and August, and with the exception of the speci- 
mens taken by myself at Shenstone in 1835, (where I have not heard of any subsequent speci- 
mens being captured,) none have been taken in England except at one particular spot on the 
coast of Dorsetshire, Lulworth Cove, where it was first discovered by Mr. Dale, in August, 
1832. As an entomological prize, it was no doubt pursued there pretty actively by the 
professional collectors, as I find Mr. Morris stating (in 1853) that it is no longer to be found at 
the precise part of the coast where it was first discovered, but that it was still plentiful at the 
Burning Cliff. In 1849, Mr. Douglas found it in great plenty in the last-named locality, where 
he captured above a hundred specimens in a very short time, often sweeping five or six into his 
net at once. He states at the same time that he was unable to trace the cause of the appearance 
of this insect in such numbers at that particular spot, to the abundant growth of any particular 
plant suitable for the food of the larve. 
The ground colour of the wings of P. Actcon is much darker than in P. Linea, the bright 
orange brown of the last-named only appearing in lighter patches in the centre of the fore 
wings. The female is much lighter than the male, and the wings of a nearly equal tone of 
orange brown all over, very closely resembling the colour of the female of P. Linea. No. 3 is 
a curious dark variety of the male, which, except in the general dark colour, approaches very 
nearly to dark varieties of P. Linca. 
