OF WASHINGTON. 13 



APRIL 4, 1901.* 



The i6oth regular meeting was held at the residence of Dr. T. 

 N. Gill, 1608 Q^street N.W. Dr. Dyar occupied the chair, and 

 in the absence of the Recording Secretary Mr. Ashmead was 

 appointed Secretary pro tern. 



The first paper was by Dr. Dyar, and was entitled : 



TO WHAT SPECIES SHOULD THE NAME ACRONYCTA HA- 

 MAMELIS GUENEE BE APPLIED? 



BY HARRISON G. DYAR. 



Guenee gives a comparative description of the moth and a 

 description and figure of the larva under the name hamamelis. 

 We have a rather rare species feeding on the witch hazel (Hama 

 melis virginica} in the larval state which agrees with Guenee's 

 larva. It feeds only on this plant, and no other species of Acro- 

 nycta so feeds to my knowledge. Therefore it would have been 

 eminently proper if the name had been retained for this species. 

 However, Grote, who became our first authority on the North 

 American Noctuidae, applied the name to an oak-feeding species 

 and named the witch-hazel feeding one subochrea. After this, 

 confusion grew apace. Butler identified subochrea Grote with 

 impleta Walker. Smith, who succeeded Grote as the authority 

 on our NoctuidaB, accepted that determination, but referred both 

 names to brumosa Guenee (the larva of which, according to 

 Guenee, is the oak-feeding species called hamamelis by Grote). 

 Finally, after a visit to the British Museum and an examination of 

 Guenee's " types," Smith overturned all previous determinations 

 applying the name hamamelis to afflicta Grote (another oak- 

 feeding species), restoring subochrea Grote to the witch-hazel 

 species and proposing a new name (Inclara Smith) for the oak 

 species called hamamelis by Grote. Brumosa, which should by 

 the larva apply to this species (inclara}, is referred to persuasa 

 Harv., a species not yet known in the larva. 



The name hamamelis Guenee has therefore been applied first 

 to inclara Smith, and lastly to afflicta Grote. In my opinion it 

 is referable to neither, but to the witch-hazel species (subochrea}. 

 As to afflict*, Guenee's description positively contradicts that 

 species. Afflicta has pale hind wings, and Guenee says that 

 those of hamamelis are " commechez rumiris" that is, dark gray. 

 As to inclara, the description is nearer, and it is very conceiva 

 ble how Grote, not knowing the larva, could have made this ref- 



* The minutes of this meeting were lost. Publication Committee. 



