GENUS XXII. HBSPEBIA. 

 Latreille. 



Hes'peria, an ancient name for Italy. 



The short thick club of the antennae, terminated by a short slender recurved 

 hook, and the minute size of the last joint of the labial palpi, are the chief 

 characteristics of this genus, in addition to the velvety oblique streak in the 

 wings of the males of many of the species. The general colour of the wings 

 is either tawny orange marked with brown, or brown strongly marked with 

 orange ; the colour being generally so disposed as to leave a row of spots 

 near the apical margin of the fore-wings ; the colours of the female, moreover, 

 are brighter than those of the males. 



Over three hundred species have been described; of which four only are 

 found in the British Isles. 



HESPERIA COMMA: 



The Silver-spotted Skipper. 



COMMA, Linn. Com'ma, thus named on account of the mark of the 

 fore- wings. 



The wings on the upperside are of a rich brown, blotched and spotted with 

 fulvous ; the spots towards the tips of the fore- wings being of a whitish 

 fulvous : on the underside greenish, with square white spots. 



The width across the wings varies from an inch and two lines to an inch 

 and four lines. There is a black streak on the fore-wings of the male. 



Like all the Skippers it is remarkably constant to the type. One form is 

 named Catena, Stgr., having the hind-wings greenish. It occurs in Lapland. 

 Two fine varieties are figured in Mosley's "Illustrations." One from the 

 collection of the late Mr. Alfred Owen, has the usual pale spots nearly white. 

 The other which was taken at Newmarket, and is in the rich collection of 

 Mr. Bond, has the spots and markings of the usual hue, but the other por- 

 tions of the wing, which are generally darker, are all of a pale greenish drab. 



The egg is dome shaped, with a small circular depression on the summit, 

 the surface being apparently smooth. "When freshly laid it is of a creamy 

 white colour, but afterwards becomes darker with the faintest possible tinge 

 of bluish green. In size it is about -^ of an inch wide, with rather a flattened 

 top, about ? V of an inch across, and is ^ of an inch in height. (Rev. J. 

 Hellins.) 



