Genus Amblyscirtes 



conical, short, and erect. The costa of the fore wing is straight, 



slightly curved inwardly before the apex. The neuration is 



represented in the cut. 



Egg. — Hemispherical. 



Caterpillar. — Not differing materially in its 



characteristics from the caterpillars of other hes- 



perid genera. 



Chrysalis. — Somewhat slender, with the dorsal 



and ventral outlines straighter than in any of the 



preceding genera, and the dorsum very slightly 



elevated in the region of the thoracic segments. 

 Fig. ioi. — b b 



Neuration of the (i) Amblyscirtes vialis, Edwards, Plate 



?«"/« AmWy ~ XLV11 ' Fi S- 5' 3 ; Plate VI ' Fi S- 4°' ci>r ysalis (The 

 Roadside Skipper). 



Butterfly. — This little species, an exceptionally bright example 

 of which is represented in the plate, may be known by the 

 dark color of the upper surface, almost uniformly brown, with a 

 few subapical light spots at the costa. In the specimen that is 

 figured these light spots are continued across the wing as a curved 

 band, but this is not usual. The wings on the under side in both 

 sexes are very much as on the upper side, save that both wings 

 on the outer third are lightly laved with gray. Expanse, i.oo 

 inch. 



Early Stages. — These have been described with minute accu- 

 racy by Dr. Scudder. 



The Roadside Skipper ranges from Montreal to Florida, and 

 westward as far as Nevada and Texas. It is not a common spe- 

 cies in the valley of the Mississippi; it seems to be far more 

 common in southern New England and in Colorado. At all 

 events, 1 have obtained more specimens from these localities than 

 from any others. 



(2) Amblyscirtes samoset, Scudder, Plate XLV1I, Fig. 6, $ ; 

 Plate VI, Fig. 45, chrysalis (Pepper-and-salt Skipper). 



Butterfly. — This little species on the upper side has the 

 ground-color as in the preceding species; the fringes on both 

 wings are pale gray. There are three small subapical spots on 

 the fore wing, three somewhat larger spots, one on either side of 

 the second median nervule and the third near the inner margin, 

 and two very minute spots at the end of the cell. On the under 

 side the wings are pale gray, the white spots of the upper side 



340 



