NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 59 



It was found by Mr. Drexler abundantly on tbe beach at Cape Hope, on the 

 southeast side of Hudson's Bay, having in all probability been washed out of 

 a Pleistocene deposit. The specimens are in the Museum of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, under the auspices of which Mr. D. visited that country. 



This is doubtless the shell figured as a Mya by E. Emmons, in the fourth 

 volume of the " Natural History of New York, pi. L, fig. 9, as occurring in 

 the Pleistocene of Lake Champlain. 



I have dedicated the species to the accomplished President of McGill College, 

 Montreal, to whom we are indebted for so much of our knowledge of the Na- 

 tural History and Geology of Canada, particularly that of its Pleistocene de- 

 posits. 



Additions to the Nomenclature of North American LEPIDOPTESA. 



BY AUG. R. GROTE. 



In offering these papers, the writer would refer to the difficulties experienced 

 by the American student of Entomology in obtaining the knowledge of the 

 descriptions of native species ; difficulties so well presented by Dr. T. W. 

 Harris in his Catalogue of the Insects of Massachusetts. 



And it seems no more than probable that, laboring under these difficulties, 

 the writer may redescribe already acknowledged species. Where this is 

 brought to his notice, he will willingly and gladly acknowledge his synonyms, 

 giving the priority to the rightful author. 



NOCTU^!. 

 Gen. Platypterix, Laspeyres. 



Antennae doubly pectinate in the male ; pectinations turned towards each 

 other ; simple in the female. Palpi with three articles, of which the second 

 is longest, the third short and pointed. Body slender, shorter than the wings. 

 Wings broad, the anterior ones with a sickle-shaped outer margin, recurving 

 at the tips. Posterior pair rounded. 



P. f abula, nov. sp. Anterior wir.gs dirty white. From the curved tip a 

 dark brown line with paler margin follows the inclination of the wing to the 

 hind margin. Emerging from this line, and between it and the outer margin 

 of the wing, a wavy dark brown line goes down to the hind margin, joining 

 it close to the outer edge of the wing. Between the base of the wing and the 

 first named and broadest line, thiee distinct, irregular, brown wavy lines cross 

 the wing from the upper to the hind margin. The second and third from the 

 base of the wing run close together and unite three times, forming two un- 

 equal enclosed spaces up to about half of the wing, and then diverging, form 

 an outline which bears a slight resemblance to the profile of a face. Two 

 dark spots are enclosed in this, and a third and larger one is crossed by the 

 third line near the centre of the wing. Outer margin dark brown, deepen- 

 ing towards the tip. Posterior wings dirty white, with two dark dots near 

 the upper edge, and crossed by several interrupted wavy lines, the one 

 nearest the outer margin continued. Body and thorax dirty white. Exp. 

 If inch. 



A male, taken on Long Island, New York. 



Obs. This insect bears a resemblance in its markings to the European P. 

 falcula; it differs, however, specifically from that species in its coloring 

 as well as that the wavy lines on the anterior wings are not confluent, thus 

 forming no enclosed spaces. 



P. genicula, nov. sp. Anterior wings light ochre yellow. From the 

 tip a curved dark brown line follows the inclination of the wings to the hind 

 margin. Between this distinct line and the base of the wing three irregular 



1862.] 



