26 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



same time upon the success which has attended their investiga- 

 tions. Further, I think that if ever there were a case where the 

 advantage of M. Oberthur's contention in favour of priority in 

 nomenclature by illustration were demonstrated, it is that of 

 these Hesperiidae. What endless speculations and tangles might 

 have been avoided had the original authors presented their de- 

 scriptions in each case, with an accurate figure showing the 

 distinctive characters of their several species ! The Brussels 

 Congress was so far in agreement on the subject of nomenclature 

 as to resolve that " it is desirable that descriptions be accom- 

 panied by figures." M. Oberthur, at Oxford, would have us go 

 one step further. In the course of an eloquent speech on the 

 subject, he said : — " Je demande que ce vceu soit complete 

 comme suit ; il parait necessaire pour empecher la confusion de 

 la Nomenclature que desormais chaque description d'Espece soit 

 accompagnee tout-a-moins d'une reproduction photographique, 

 qui devra etre publiee au plus tard un an apres l'impression du 

 texte de la description." 



Distinctive Wing Characters of Hesperiid^e (Plate III.). 



Alveus. — Fore wing, upper side : Intradiscoidal spot concave towards 

 the outer margin (fig. 2, b). Hind wing, under side : Pro- 

 longation of the anal angle ; median band wide ; internal edge 

 of the band rectilinear ; ground colour olive-yellow, slightly 

 marbled, or unicolorous (fig. 9). 



Carlinjs. — Hind wing, under side : Lengthening of the anterior 

 border ; extended white marginal rectangle in intraneural 

 spaces 4 and 5 (fig. 6, e). 



Fritillum (= cirsii, Ebr.). — Fore wing, upper side: Intradiscoidal 

 spot rectilinear, and often thickened (Delahaye's 7nark, fig. l,a). 

 Hind wing, under side : Beddish, or olivaceous coloration 

 strongly marbled, with deeper coloured spots ; nervures very 

 prominent and usually reddish ; white spots with pearly 

 reflections (fig. 4). 



Onopordi. — Hind wing, under side : Anvil-shaped spot in median 

 band (fig. 5, c) ; hooked spot from outer margin (Blachier's 

 mark, fig. 5, d). 



Armoricanus. — Hind wing, under side : Greyish or reddish tint, 

 lightly marbled, and with deeper coloured spots ; median band 

 narrow; nervures clearly distinct (fig. 3). 



Serratul^. — Hind wing, under side : Uniform greenish yellow ; 

 white spots very distinct in depth, and without edging or 

 pearly reflection (fig. 7). 



Carthami. — Hind wing, under side : White spots without pearly 

 reflections, and surrounded by fine dark border (fig. 8). 



