OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 14c 



seems to differ from the former principally in the antennae being 

 proportionally more slender, the club shorter and less uniform, the 

 palpi more slender and yet shorter, and the legs also more slender; 

 while the hind wings in the male Apatura are not hollowed out as 

 in Doxoeopa. This last character is of little value, as it is variable in 

 the same species. The other points of difference also appear trivial 

 indeed when we consider the many points of resemblance. It is rea- 

 sonable to suppose that many of the honored writers on diurnal Lepi- 

 doptera, since Hubner's time, have been familiar with his diagnosis of 

 DoxoGopa^ and they ignored the genus because they considered that 

 the characters were not sufficient to separate it from Apatura. Kirby, 

 as late as 1871, did so. Opinions will differ as to what should consti- 

 tute a genus, and my own opinion is expressed in the name I here 

 employ. Mr. Scudder may be able by study of the preparatory stages 

 to establish more emphatic differences in his forthcoming work. If 

 so, Doxocopa will doubtless be employed for our species, but it will 

 be Doxocopa Scudder and not Doxocopa Hiibner, as the latter knew 

 nothing about those differences. Until that time I have thought best 

 to follow preceding authors. Judging from figures of the European 

 Apaturas^ the most important differences between them and our two 

 N. A. species will be found in the chrysalis state, and principally in 

 the shape of the cremaster. The horns of the European larvre are less 

 branching, and the notum of the throax in the chrysalis is more 

 depressed ; but our two N. A. species also differ in these characters. 



Regarding the specific names, Lycaon and Herse were named by 

 Fabricius, as Mr. Scudder informs me, from paintings, " unquestionably 

 representing our species, in the possession of a Mr. Jones," and now at 

 Oxford, Eng. No locality was given for them. Did some rule prevail 

 such as that which has been suggested by Professor Westwood — viz., 

 that after an insect has been universally designated, say for a quarter 

 of a century, by a specific name, that name should nevermore give 

 way to any that might be resuscitated — we should not now be called 

 upon to change Boisduval's familiar titles for these familiar butter- 

 flies. So long as no such rule exists, the quickest way to get rid of 

 the confusion now attaching to the specific nomenclature* is to follow 

 Mr. Scudder, who has given the subject so much attention. In the 

 higher animals, Audubon and Bachman did not hesitate to reject such 

 names as Anisonyx rufa Rafinesque, or Arctomys rufa Harlan — 

 names given to an animal which Lewis and Clark had described, but 

 which the namers had never seen; and to adopt, instead, the Aplo- 



*For instance, Lj/caon and Herse are referred by Kirby (Syn. Cat. yt. 87) to Hipparchia? n 

 1 p- 262 of the same work we have Aptura Lycaon, of which Herse is designated :is j . 



? .ind vet 



