OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST, 145' 



such inadequate descriptions in a modern author ; but, for many good 

 reagons, it is the custom to make the best of those of the older au- 

 thor, who sometimes described a species in one single word. 



HAVE WE OTHER SPECIES OF THE GEXUS IX THE UNITED STATES? 



Besides the two species of Apatura^ the natural history of which 

 I have just detailed, three other supposed species have been de- 

 scribed, viz., A. Idyja Hubn {Doxocopa Z, Exot. Schm.), A. Proser- 

 pina Scudd. (Trans. Chic. Ac. Sc. I., p. 332), and A. Alicia Edw. (Butt, 

 of N. A., p. 135). I know nothing of the first; but from the fact that 

 Kirby (Syn. Oat. Diurnal Lep. p. 262) considers Clyton Boisd. a syno- 

 nym, it will, perhaps, turn out a variety of Herse Fabr. The other two 

 are considered synonyms — Proserinna of Ilerse and Alicia of Lycaon 

 —by Scudder in his latest published opinion (Syst. Rev. etc., p. 9); 

 and from the descriptions, I should agree with him in believing them 

 mere varieties of the Fabrician species. It is, therefore, probable 

 that we have but the two species I have figured. 



Mr. Edwards informs me that he still considers Alicia a good 

 species; and that he is confirmed in the belief from the fact that not 

 a single Alicia was obtained from many specimens of Lycaon bred 

 by himself last summer, or from those bred by me. But I should not 

 expect to breed Alicia far away from its locality, any more than I 

 should expect to breed the dark form of Limenitis Misippus or the 

 dark female of Papilio Tarnus in the more northern States. I am 

 always suspicious of species founded on slight variations when one 

 or two individuals only have been seen. Herse varies considerably, 

 so that specimens as distinctly marked as my figure are the exception, 

 and in the female the markings on the hind wings, both above and 

 beneath, are often sufficiently obsolete to give the wing a uniform 

 appearance, with the barest indication of a series of paler spots. 

 Lycaon varies also not only in the intensity of color and distinctness 

 of the marks, but in the relative size of many of the spots ; that near- 

 est the apex and that nearest the middle of the front wing being 

 sometimes obsolete, while the dark ocellar spot on the same wing, 

 which is usually simple, sometimes has a white discal speck. Mr. Ed- 

 wards's J.Z^cj«,as may readily be seen from his excellent figures, is, so 

 far as we now know, larger than the average size of Lycaon^ and the 

 general color is more fulvous ; but there is absolute similarity of pat- 

 tern between the two. Now as Lycaon varies both in size and depth 

 of color, we may reasonably infer that Alicia will be found to do so, 

 and that, so far as these characters go, the description of Alicia is 

 from two specimens, and is of little value. The average size of Ly- 

 caon^ in the locality from which I write, is much less than that of 



