THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 149 



occasion, but in the case of Ag7'otis pelhicidalis the change of title has 

 been forgotten. According to Hofmann the iy^Q oi aplecta \s> prasina. 

 I have made the following types of named subgeneric divisions : occulta 

 of Eurois, alabamce of Anicia, lewisii-tessellata of Pleoiiectopoda, moerejis- 

 citricolor of Cartieades, catheriiia of Mattita. These must first be used 

 before new titles are coined. There remains a literary research as to the 

 oldest generic titles used in Europe for species of Agrotis iii sensu 

 Lederer, which is not in any sense a superficial assemblage, but a scienti- 

 fically and properly assorted genus of Noctuidce. The question as to the 

 rank of the species with tuberculate clypeus may be separately considered. 

 On my discovery of the character I made it, as elsewhere, the basis for a 

 distinct genus. Had I had then the material and the time I would 

 certainly have continued my observations and extended the limits of the 

 genus, which has grown to unexpected dimensions in Prof Smith's work. 



In my Revised Check List I accepted several forms as varieties which 

 Prof Smith shows to be distinct species, thus reverting to my original 

 opinion respecting them which I had incorrectly modified from informa- 

 tion received subsequently. With regard to these and to the representa- 

 tive species, now definitely separated as distinct upon distinctions found 

 in the male genitalia, Prof Smith's observations may be accepted as 

 corrections of my list. It is not my intention here to review the whole 

 of Prof Smith's brochure, merely to point out certain misapprehensions 

 and, as I think, wrong identifications, which in the future, if uncorrected, 

 may render the synonymy uncertain. Similarly I avoid any reply which 

 might take the shape of controversy, confining myself to matters of fact, 

 as I understand them, and referring the student to my published papers 

 for all special cases of difference. 



A prominent feature in Prof Smith's treatment of the species is his 

 referring names designating recognizable varieties as simple synonyms. 

 Even when intermediary forms exist, as they do in very many cases of 

 variation, the names for the extremes for the pronounced varieties, 

 should be retained to designate them exactly. Colour varieties, as for 

 instance the bright red specialis, in contradistinction to the olive-grey 

 Wilso?ii, gularis as distinguishable in a similar way from ochrogaster 

 (turris), might, with advantage, be designated. In a few instances 

 where the differences remain, in my opinion, of specific value, the names 

 axe made equally synonyms. The most prominent instances of this are 



