THE COMMON SKIPPERS 



P'ic. 46. — Martial's dusky- 

 wing. 



at a considerable distance from the tip (Fig. 46), and vein 

 M„ of the fore wings retains its primitive position midway be- 

 tween veins M l and M 3 or is nearer 

 to vein M, than to M 3 at base (Fig. 

 47). But the most distinctive fea- 

 ture of the subfamily is exhibited by 

 the males alone, and is lacking in 

 some species. It consists of a fold 

 in the fore wing near the costal mar- 

 gin, which forms a long, slit-like 



pocket, containing a sort 

 of silky down. This, like 

 the brand of the males of 

 the preceding subfamily, 

 is a scent-organ, tubular 

 scales, the androconia, that 

 are the outlets of scent 

 glands, opening into it. 

 When the pockets are 

 tightly closed it is difficult 

 to see them ; Plate XLV, 

 Fig. 6, represents a spec- 

 imen in which they are 

 open. 



Nearly eighty species be- 

 longing to this subfamily 

 have been found in Amer- 

 ica north of Mexico. Those 

 that occur in the East, ex- 



, . , . cept a few rare ones and a 

 Fig. 47. — Venation of the wings of ' 



Epargyreus liiynts. few Southern forms, are 



289 



