214 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [June, 



not usually b come confluent, though they are often reduced in size or 

 entirely absent. Expanse 34-38 mm. 



Female differs from $ in the smoother thoracic vestiture, though the 

 difference is not marked, and in the color of hind wings, which are crim- 

 son-red, the black spots larger than in 9> but usually not confluent. Ex- 

 panse as in (j\ 



E. vittata Fab rf. Thoracic vestiture shaggy, but less so than in nais, 

 black spots on collar absent. Abdomen ocher-yellow, with a broad black 

 dorsal band, which widens posteriorly and covers nearly the whole of the 

 last abdominal segment; fore wings black, marked as in nais, but the 

 costal edge is yellow nearly to apex, as it is in phalerata. The terminal 

 W mark is even more invariably obsolete than it is in nais, the marks 

 being sometimes reduced to the costal and median longitudinal lines; 

 hind wings ocher-yellow or red, the spots almost always decidedly con- 

 fluent, and frequently forming a complete border. Expanse 38-43 mm. 



In the 9 the thoracic vestiture is smooth, the black spots are 

 often present on the collar, the abdomen is more covered with 

 black posteriorly, while the marks on the fore wings are usually 

 more reduced and the marginal black band of secondaries often 

 covers more than half the wing; otherwise as in the . 



Mr. Dyar is prepared to show from the differences in the 

 genitalia that these three forms are entited to specific rank, and 

 we are informed by Mr. J. Doll that the larva^ of phalerata and 

 decorata (= vittata] differ strikingly in appearance. 



Hypercompa caja Linn. 



The typical form with red hind wings occurs in the Pacific 

 Northwest, as we learn from Prof. O. B. Johnson. 



Var. americana Harris. 



This inhabits the Northeastern part of the continent. 



Var. iifa/iensis Hy. Edw. 



The white marks are more extensive, the hind wings yellow. 



Var. transmontana n. var. 



This a Western varietal form, still more extreme in its mark- 

 ings than var. utahensis Hy. Edw., coming, in its profusion of 

 white on primaries, very near //. wiskotti Stgr. from Asia Minor. 

 The ground color of primaries is white, with the following macu- 

 lation in blackish brown. Three irregular, broad, transverse 

 stalks from basal half of costa, converging below cell in subnic- 

 clian space and followed by a large blotch, either subovate or sub- 

 quadrate, resting on basal half of internal margin. A large, 



