215 



above locality sereral years since. I have therefore on his testimony ad- 

 mitted the species ; but I cannot help surmising that its origin is questionable, 

 and that the specimens were probably imported in one of their earlier states, 

 among the timber or other stores which Mr. Eaddon acquaints me came 

 direct from the North American continent to Barnstaple. I am induced to 

 say this much from the circumstance of the section of the genus to which 

 this insect belongs, being without any other exception exclusively found in 

 America." A specimen was also stated to have been taken by Mr. Newman 

 near Godalming, in Surrey. J . C. Dale had one of the above Bucephalus 

 from Mr. Raddon, who had placed them as the females of Sylvanm, not 

 having the true female, evidently a mistake. J. C. Dale had also Dr. 

 Abbott's specimen of H. vitellius. It is possible that Dr. Abbott received 

 it from the American Mr. Abbott, to whom he was supposed to have been 

 related. 



HESPEEIA LINEA. 

 Small Skipper. 



LINEA, W.V. Li'nea, named such on account of the line on the fore-wings. 

 It has also been described by Hufnagel under the name of Thaumus, but 

 that name was applied by Fabricius to an American species from Phila- 

 delphia. 



The wings on the upperside are of a rich fulvous shaded into brown at the 

 borders. The male has an oblique blackish line near the centre of the fore- 

 wings but they are not clouded with brown, as are those of Action. On the 

 underside the wings are unspotted, the hind-wings being of a greenish tawny, 

 the fore-wings of a dull tawny. The width across the wings is from one inch 

 and a line to an inch and three lines. It is but rarely known to vary. A 

 male of the pale or bone coloured form is figured in Mosley's " Illustrations," 

 and Mr. Bond has the same form in both sexes, as have a few other collectors. 

 In those specimens there is no change in the markings. 



The egg is not at all like that of H. Sylvanus, but is considerably smaller, 

 of a long oval figure, half as long again as wide, the shell glistening, devoid 

 of ribs or reticulation ; at first white, then turning dull yellowish, and at last 

 paler again, with the dark bead of the caterpillar showing through. (Rev. 

 J. Hellins.) 



The caterpillar when young is of a pale dull yellow, and is slender, cylin- 

 drical, with a very smooth skin, and no bristles except on the second and 

 thirteenth segments, and some very short ones on the head. When full-grown 

 it is ten lines in length, and is of a tender and delicate grass green colour, 



