E R I N A pulchella. 

 Buff-spotted Blue. 



Family, Fricinidse. Sub-fam., Theclinse. Sw. Genus, Polyommatus- 

 J. at. Sub genus, lirina. Sw. 



Sib-Generic Character. 



"\v;ngs obtuse, very entire: palpi covered only with compact scales, 

 the last joint lengthened, slender, and very naked. Club of the 

 antennae short, broad, and spatulate. Colour, dark blue, spotted 

 beneath. 

 Tpptcul. Hesp. Erinus. Fab. Aberrant. Lycsena ignita. Leach. 



Specific Character. 

 // mgs at. on- brotvn, glossed with blue ; anterior with a discoid 

 fulvous spot ; beneath white: posterior pair with three black 

 dots in the middle. 



Mus. Pi'it. Nest. 



The passage from Polyommatvs to the type now before us, 

 i- distinctly marked by the section (for tinder that rank we 

 may stili retain it), named Pithecops ; the palpi of these 

 latter being hoth hairy, like the typical Polyommatus, and 

 squamose, as in Erina : the posterior wings of both are 

 also much of the sane shape. By these blended characters 

 Nature gently glides into the form now under consideration, 

 which is the satyrian or rasorial type of the genus; repre- 

 senting the iSatyridie, the Hippatchianse, &c. and which 

 supplies the place of PolyommatuSj strictly so termed, on 

 the Australian continent. We have already before us six 

 species from that country ; five of which are typical, but 

 t le sixth, the L. ignita of our friend Dr. Leach (Zool. Miss, 

 I ,•///. o'Jyi, demands particular attention. We have else- 

 where shewn that all aberrant forms unite into a circle of 

 their own. Now as Erina, Lucia, and Sa'is, are the aber- 

 rant forms oi the genus Polyommatus, so there should be 

 species either in the first or the last, — that is, in Erin a or 

 AV/.v, which won hi exemplify this theory in the present in- 

 stance. We accordingly find it demonstrated by Erina ignita; 

 for that insect, although essentially belonging to this type, in 

 the characters of the palpi and antennae, nevertheless assumes 

 one of the great distinctions of Nu'is. — The wings of the 

 tiro sexes being different; the posterior pair in the female 

 are dentatcd, while those of the male are completely entire; 

 so that the first might pass for a Nais, and the second for 

 an Erina ; both sexes further shew the union of these two 

 types, by having the under surface of their wings ornament- 

 ed, as in Kais, with silvery spots. Our figures, by the. 

 *eale, are somewhat enlarged. We have sent a specimen of 

 E. pulchella to the British Museum for general reference. 



134. 



