POLYOMMATUS. 109 



of his genus Polyommatus ; whilst, in 1805 (Hist. Nat. Crust, et Ins., 

 pp. 116-117), and again in 1809 (Scudder 1807) {Gen. Crust, et Ins., 

 iv., p. 206), where it is divided into sections la and b, and II, and 

 then, in 1810 (Consider ationes Gen., etc., p. 440) (under the French 

 name Polyommate), he gave argus as one of the species in the 

 heterogeneous list included under the name Polyommatus. In 

 1817, Latreille details (Curlers Regne Animal, iii., 553) at length, one 

 species as representing Polyommatus, which he notes as being designed 

 for those lepidoptera, which have, for the greater part, small spots, 

 imitating eyes, on their wings. The most common species in the 

 neighbourhood of Paris, he says, is " the blue Polyommatus " (Papilio 

 alexis, Hiibner, pi. lx., figs. 292-294), the blue Argus of Geoffrey and 

 Engramelle, " Pap. Eur., xxxviii., no. 80 <j-h." He then gives a 

 detailed account of icarus as we know it, and thus confirms his action 

 of 1801, in fixing this species as the type. In 1818, Latreille also 

 rightly cites (Nouv. Diet., new ed., xxvii., p. 495) to alexis, Hb., " l'argus 

 bleu " of Geoffroy, which he had previously cited to "argus, Fab.," 

 thus showing what he understood by argus, when, in 1804, he fixed it 

 as the type of Polyommatus. The overlooking of Latreille's earliest 

 description of the genus in 1804, by Scudder (Historical Review, p. 258), 

 led the latter wrongly to cite boeticus, Linn., as the type of this genus. 



As from the first, the type had been fixed for the genus, it is not 

 necessary to show how various authors (including Latreille) used the 

 genus Polyommatus as synonymous with Cupido, Schrank, to include 

 all the Euralids — hairstreaks, coppers, and blues— but we may mention 

 that Stephens, in 1828 (111. Brit. Ent. Haust., i., p. 83) restricted it 

 to the " blues," and Boisduval (Icones, etc., p. 43) and Duponchel 

 (Pap. Fr., supp. i., p. 391), in 1832, used it for the "coppers," 

 whilst Ram bur, in 1839 (Faun. Ent. And., p. 264), and West wood, in 

 1840 (Gen. Syn., p. 88), reverted to its proper restriction to the "blues," 

 and Her rich -Schaffer, in 1844 (Sys. Bearb., i., pp. Ill et seq.), again 

 used it for the " coppers." Since then there has been no fixed method, 

 although Kirby, in 1870 (Journ. Linn. Soe. Lond., x., p. 500), and 

 Scudder, in 1875 (Hist. Sketch, p. 253), both insisted that the name 

 must be restricted to the " blues." 



Accepting Latreille's original limitation of the type to " l'argus 

 bleu" of Geoff., Ingram. — alexis, Hb., Eur. Schmett., lx., figs. 292- 

 294, it follows that our restricted Polyommatus includes Herrich- 

 Schaffer's subdivision of the genus Lycaena, diagnosed (Sys. Bearb., 

 pp. 112, 118 et seq.) as follows : — 



I. Alae posteriores ecaudatse. 



A. Subtus ante limbum maculae rufse. 



A. Inter lunulam mediam et basin alarum anteriomm ocellus unus 

 aut alter. 



1. Ocellus ceUulas 6 alarum posteriorum linea recta inter ocellos 

 cellulae 5 et 7 positus. 



b. Alse posteriores subtus inter seriem ocellorum et maculas 

 limbales cellulas 3 et 4 albae. 



a. Cilise immaculatae ; alse anteriores et posteriores subtus 

 concolores — alexis, Fab., eros, Ochs., eroides, H.-Sch., 

 boisduvalii, H.-Sch. 



The superficial characters on which Herrich-Schaffer's grouping is 

 made, necessitate some considerable misplacing of certain species, 

 and we are inclined to include eros, Ochs., venus, Staud., stoliczkana, 



