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HESPERIDAE. 
A family of butterflies known as skippers, that differs considerably 
from the other families, having some characters that belong to the 
moths. The hind wings, when at rest, are open, while the fore wings 
are wholly or partly closed, though this is not an invariable rule. The 
bodies are short and thick; the head large, wide transversely; eyes 
prominent; palpi short, almost square at the end, thickly hairy ; an¬ 
tennae knobbed, but the knob is either bent strongly outward or 
hooked; legs, six, the hind shanks with two spurs. The caterpillars 
are without spines, spindle shaped; the head prominent, on account 
of the joints, back of the head being small. They are solitary in their 
habits, many of them enclosing themselves with silken threads in the 
leaves they eat, where they pass the larva state and change to chrysa¬ 
lids. 
Pamphila sassacus, Scudd.—The Sassacus Skipper. 
The following is Dr. Harris’ description : “ Dark brown above ; all 
the wings with a tawny-yellow spot occupying the middle of each, 
and with two or three little detached spots of the same color near the 
extremity of the first pair; beneath, ochre yellow, with small pale 
yellow spots near the tip, corresponding to those on the upper surface 
of the fore wings; and on the hind wings, seven small, square, pale 
yellow spots, namely, one before the middle, and the others in pairs 
behind it. Expands one and one-fourth inches.” The caterpillar is 
green with a brown head. Feeds on scrub grass. 
Pamphila Huron, Edw.—The Huron Skipper. 
Expands 1-25 inches. Male —wings above, brown, with the middle 
and base of both ochre-yellow, irregularly dentate in the outer part, 
the veins of the hind wings and the inner margin, also a spot near 
the apex of the fore wings the same color. In the middle of each fore 
wing is a large black spot, crossed obliquely by a gray dash, from 
which arises, towards the costa, darker gray hairs. Thorax and side of 
abdomen, olive. Club of antennae abruptly bent at tip. Female — 
wings all brown, except on the fore wings, along the discal cell, hind 
margin, two spots near the apex and two more beyond the middle. 
No black center. Hind wings; an irregular yellow band extending 
from the base to near the outer margin, when it turns forward to¬ 
wards the apex, and a yellow stripe form the anal angle. 
