PHASSUS. 233 
1. Phassus argentiferus. 
Phassus argentiferus, Walk. Cat. vii. p. 15667. 
Hab. Mexico (Hartweg!); Costa Rica (Van Patten), Irazu 6000 to 7000 feet (Rogers); 
Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui 2000 to 3000 feet (Champion). 
The examples before me are identical with Walker's type in the National collection. 
P. argentiferus seems to be peculiar to our country; I have no evidence of its occurrence 
south of the Isthmus of Panama. This species is allied to P. hiidneri. 
2. Phassus triangularis. 
Phassus triangularis, H. Edwards, Ent. Amer. i. p. 1291. 
Hab. Mexico, Jalapa (Schaus 1). 
This insect, judging from Mr. Edwards’ description, is very closely allied to 
P. argentiferus. 
8. Phassus phalerus, sp.n. (Tab. XXIV. fig. 8, 3.) 
Male. Primaries pale brown, shaded with darker brown, crossed beyond the middle by a wide indistinct glossy 
pale brownish band, which begins close to the costal margin and crosses to the inner margin and then runs 
up to the base (forming an ill-defined V-shaped mark, darkest near the inner margin), with two metallic 
spots about the middle (the first close to the base, the second beyond and close to the end of the cell), and 
the costal and outer margins speckled with dark brown ; secondaries brownish-black, slightly hyaline near 
the base, the apex and outer margin brownish, the base thickly covered with long brownish-black hairs ; 
the underside of both wings brownish-black, their costal margins, and the outer margins of the secondaries 
also, pale yellowish-brown, the primaries thickly clothed with long blackish hairs from the base to beyond 
the middle: head and thorax dark brown; abdomen above black, dark brown at the base, each segment 
banded with very pale brown hairs, beneath pale brown; antenne very minute, of a dark brown colour; 
legs dark brown, the hind tibie with a large tuft of bright orange-coloured hair. Expanse 4 inches. 
Hab. Mexico, Jalapa (Hége). 
One specimen. It is just possible that P. phalerus may be identical with the 
insect from the same locality described by Mr. Edwards as P. triangularis, but as it 
does not fit his description at all well I have ventured to describe it. 
4, Phassus championi, sp.n. (Tab. XXIV. fig. 11.) 
Primaries pale fawn-colour, thickly covered with darker streaks and much mottled with paler colour, and with 
several dark brown spots along the costal margin and on the inner margin near the base; secondaries 
pale blackish-brown, the apex pale and spotted with darker brown, the points of the veins on the outer 
margin pale fawn-colour ; the underside of both wings uniform brownish fawn-colour, the apices paler 
and spotted with darker brown, all the veins dark brown: head and thorax pale brownish fawn-colour ; 
abdomen above black, pale brownish fawn-colour at the base, beneath and the sides also brownish, and 
covered with silky hairs; (antenne wanting); legs dark brown. Expanse 6 inches. 
Hab. GuatTemaa, Purula 4000 feet (Champion). 
One specimen only was obtained of this fine species; it is quite unlike any other 
known to me, but may be allied to the South-American P. giganteus, Herr.-Schiff. 
P. championi is by far the largest species of the genus as yet found in our country. 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Heter., Vol. I., May 1887. 299 
