HESPERIOIDEA OF A^^IERICA 39 



of equal len^h intermingled; in 'Eesperia the palpi are strongly 

 upturned and vei^' hea%'ilY and roughly clothed underneath with 

 long hairs, the scales being confined to the lateral basal portion/' 



It is quit-e true that this furnishes a good basis for the sep- 

 aration of our species, and the general habitus of each group 

 is also distinctive, but I have unidentified species of the genus 

 from South America which have the habitus of Hesperiu (sensu 

 B. & McD.) and the palpi of Pyrgus. It seems that the only 

 conclusion which will give a well founded classification is to 

 adopt the genus Hesperia of many European writers. 



I cannot expect unanimous approval of the sinking of Helio- 

 petes. but after examining all of the species carefully and com- 

 paring them with those of Hesperia I am unable to point out 

 any structure which does not find either its counterpart or a 

 similar tendency in the latter genus. The pattern of Hesperia 

 is easily traceable in ericetorum and damdceUa, both above and 

 below; in niveUa, laviana and macmra the under surface is 

 puzzling, but the brown pattern may easily be a modification of 

 a superficial vestiture such as that found in syrichtiis, while the 

 black marks are so scanty as to afford no comparison. 



Key to tlie species 



1. Upper surfai^e of primaries with a broad white discal band or mostly 



white 8 



Band narrow and macular or not evident 2 



2. Spots of primaries subquadrate, well separated 3 



Spots crowded, slender; with an additional row of spots beyond cell. .6 



3. Primaries with a triangular white spot in the angle of vein 2 and the 



ceU 4 



This spot absent centaureae 



4. Male with fold; subterminal spots on under surface of secondaries 

 deeply cresc^ntic in most specimens, even when reduced in size..ruraZw 

 Male without fold; subterminal spots never deeply crescentic, usually 

 poorly defined 5 



5. Under surface of secondaries without distinct contrasts, whitish; mark- 

 ings of upper surface usually reduced; a pale, glossy species, .scriptura 

 Under surface with contrasting markings; upper surface with macula- 

 tion rarely reduced; darker species xanthu^, mccdunn-oughi 



6. Under surface of secondaries with two small submarginal lunules be- 

 tween veins 4 and 6 7 



These vague, fused with a marginal white patch or with each other 



tessellata 



