56 
LETTEES FEOM ALABAMA. 
a morning, but then they fly along close to the 
ground, beneath the shrubs, and in the shelter of 
the fence, as if shade were more congenial to their 
feelings than sunshine. Perhaps^ as there is a 
correspondence and a harmony in all the divine 
works, there may be a reference to these retiring 
habits in the dull tint common to the tribe, and the 
want of those glowing colours so general among 
butterflies. These are both small species ; one is 
the Dusky Argus {llip'parcliia EurytJiris)^ with two 
double-pupilled eyes in each fore wing, and one on 
each hind wing, besides a very minute eye in the 
angle of the latter ; beneath, the hind wings have 
four eyes. The smaller of the two is the Blind 
Argus [H. Sosybius)^ of which the upper surface is 
spotless brown, the under handsomely marked with 
a numerous series of eyes near the margin, and 
two transverse dark lines. 
Ha ! what have we here, crawling on your back ? 
An intruder with whose acquaintance you may well 
dispense. It is a Tick (Ixodes Americanus)^ and 
a singular subject it is. The trivial name, Ameri- 
canus^ is but a poor distinction, for two species at 
least, much resembling each other in size, form, 
colour, and habits, are common here. They are 
both flat, about one-eighth of an inch in diameter, 
of a dark reddish brown, but one has a white spot 
on the back and is round, while the other is oval. 
On the first day that I spent at my school, I was 
surprised by a violent twinge in my breast, just 
like the sting of a wasp, yet I could feel nothing 
with my fingers : the pain continuing, I examined 
beneath my clothes, and found one of these rascally 
ticks, with his rostrum so firmly imbedded in the 
flesh, that it was only after repeated efforts that 
