LYC'ENA L 
will surely be seen two or three of these little “ harbingers of Spring ” gently flit- 
ting about any moist, sheltered spot on the road, out of reach of the wind which 
still has a wintry chill, conspicuous from their charming color, which, in the sun- 
light is intense, as near as may be like Salvia patens among flowers. They evi- 
dently enjoy their escape from long imprisonment and make the most of their stay, 
which will be but brief, scarcely beyond the next night’s frost. 
By the 3rd or 4th of April, we usually have one or two very warm days, the 
mercury at 80°, and then these little butterflies swarm along the sandy sides of the 
creeks, gathering in clusters as close as they can stand, in favorite spots, motion- 
less, with wings erect and closed, wholly intent on extracting from the sand some 
fluid no doubt delightful. With them will often be seen some of the smaller Hes- 
perians, especially that sturdy little fellow, II. Samoset, Scud, {nemoris, Edw.) who 
has placed himself like a sentinel outside the throng, with wings half open and sus- 
picious antennae, ready to dart away for the least cause, frightening for a moment 
his busy associates. He will not return till the danger is past, but they, after flut- 
tering about a little, settle down as before. These are all males, for the females do 
not appear till some days after, or about the 10th. By this time the peach trees 
are in full bloom, and the females are especially attracted to them. But as a gene- 
ral thing this species is not partial to flowers. 
Most of the females are of the black type, variety b. Out of nearly one hun- 
dred taken in 1867 but five were blue. 
By the end of April, violacea is no more seen, there being but a single brood. 
I have received specimens taken near Philadelphia and at London, Canada. 
This species is probably to be found dispersed over New England and New York, 
and I think has been confounded with Lucia of Kirby, a paler species with mot- 
tled under surface, and of which an excellent figure is given in the Fauna Boreali- 
Americana. 
o 
LYOENA LYGDAMAS. 5—7. 
Lycsma Lygdamas, (Lyg'-da-mas,) Doubleday. Polyommatus Lygdamas. The Entomologist, No. 
14, Dec. 1841. 
Male. Expands 1.3 inch. 
Upper side wholly silver-blue ; costa of both wings and the nervules for a lit- 
tle distance from the margins fuscous ; fringes long, fuscous. 
Under side uniform grey-brown ; primaries have a small round black spot 
within the cell, a bent bar at its extremity, both edged entirely with white ; within 
the margin a transverse curved row of seven large rounded black spots, the two 
lower ones connected, all surrounded by white. 
