URBICOLIDES (HESPERIIDES). 89 



have not necessarily migrated from below (the Hesperiid position), 

 supplanting scales ; but, if so, scales were certainly once associated 

 with them. 



Of the nervures, there are twelve in the forewing (1-12) and nine 

 in the hindwing (la, 16-8), 1 in each case being the anal nervures. 

 They branch directly from the discoidal cell, and not from one 

 another. In the Hesperiidae (sens, strict.) nervure 5 (from the middle of 

 the outer boundary of cell) is nearer to 6 (from top outer corner of 

 cell) than to 4 (from lower corner of cell) when the cell of the 

 forewing is less than two-thirds the length of the costa, and only 

 nearer to 4 when the cell is more than two-thirds the length of the 

 costa. In the Urbicolidae (Pamphilidae), nervure 5 is never nearer to 

 6 than to 4 (except in a few aberrant Australian genera), and is 

 usually very much nearer to 4, whilst, on the other hand, the cell 

 of the forewing never exceeds two-thirds of the length of the costa 

 (except in one or two Asiatic genera). The presence or absence of 

 nervure 5 in the hindwing is very variable, in some cases being fully 

 developed, in others only traceable as a fold, whilst in some Urbicolids 

 (Pamphilids) (chiefly those in which nervure 5 of the forewing is very 

 close to the bottom of the cell) ic is absolutely invisible (Watson). 



The chief characters of the superfamily in its various stages appear 

 to be as follows : 



Egg. — Varying from flat to approaching spherical; shell tough and opaque; 

 surface comparatively smooth or ribbed. 



Larva. — Head large ; the prothorax very narrow and forming a distinct neck ; 

 prolegs provided with a circle of hooks, often complete and multiple ; construct 

 a slight cocoon in which to pupate. 



Pupa. — The 7th abdominal segment (in addition to the 5th and 6th) not 

 apparently free in <$ , but has the appearance of having recently been so ; thoracic 

 spiracle exceedingly conspicuous ; dorsal head-piece persistent ; the eye-plates dorsal ; 

 eye-plates on dehiscence separate from ventral head-parts, but continue attached to 

 dorsal head-piece ; terminal joints of maxillary palpus persist as minute eye-collar. 



Imago. — Head broad; eyes glabrous; with overhanging brush of hairs; 

 antennae very far removed at bases; club of antennae large, strong ; basal joint with 

 long hair-tuft ; anterior legs fully developed in both sexes, posterior tibiae usually 

 with middle pair of spurs ; forewings with nervures separate ; hindwings with 

 nervure 5 variable. 



The peculiar variation in the resting-habit of the superfamily has 

 been already noticed. Nisoniades taf/es rests upon flowers, etc., by 

 night, with the wings sloping- downwards, like those of a Noctuid 

 moth. Similarly, Zeller has noticed that freshly-emerged imagines of 

 Erynnis malvarum (lavatherae) rest with the wings closed in this manner, 

 the antennas being placed sideways and laid along the thorax, and the 

 abdomen turned upwards, and we have noticed the imagines of 

 Erynnis altheae resting with the wings placed horizontally and the 

 abdomen turned up in a somewhat similar manner. Many of the 

 species, however, rest with the wings over the back in the usual 

 fashion adopted by butterflies. Among our few British species there 

 is considerable variation in the imaginal habits. They are all of small 

 size and of unattractive colours. Their flight is short, quick, and 

 jerky, whence they get the name of " skippers." They dart swdftly in 

 the hot sunshine from flower to flower, or sun themselves on leaves 

 and stones, or suck up water from the roadside rills, bathing as it 

 were in the steamy atmosphere arising when the hot sunshine falls on 

 the trickling water. We have observed as many as 100 or more Res- 



