OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME XII, 1910. 73 



were now called injurious, since the plants have acquired value 

 for forage. 



-Mr. Fiske gave in brief the life history of one of the spe- 

 cies of the chalcid genus Perildmpus, which will soon be pub- 

 lished in full elsewhere. 



Prof. J. M. Steadman, being called upon by the Society, 

 spoke of the changes since the early days, when the Society 

 was small and only a few members present at the meetings. 



-The following papers were accepted for publication: 



NOTES ON THE SPECIES OF MEGALOPYGE ALLIED TO 

 OPERCULARIS SMITH AND ABBOT. 

 [Lepidoptera; Megalopygidae.] 

 BY HARRISON G. DYAR. 



We have in the southern Atlantic States a single species of 

 Mcgploaygc, the well-known M, operculuris of Smith and 

 Abbot. This is an intrusion into our fauna of a tropical 

 American element; the species of Megalopyge allied to oper- 

 culuris are not uncommon in Central and South America. 

 The center of distribution, where the most species occur, ap- 

 pears to be in Mexico. This may represent the geographical 

 origin of the group, whence members have strayed to the 

 North and to the South. Several forms occur in Venezuela 

 and the Guianas, and I include others from Brazil, but these 

 latter have already departed considerably from the typical ap- 

 pearance of the group. The species which I at present refer 

 here may be separated as follows: 



Fore wing without any pale whitish patch at the base: 



A subterminal series of double black bars salebrosa Clemens 



Without this character 



Outer margin broadly clear yellow to anal angle- 

 Yellow margin broadest at apex bissesa Dyar 



Yellow margin broadening toward tornus 



Dark shading not reaching the base pellita Felder 



Dark shading reaching the base agesistrata Druce 



Outer margin more or less shaded or encroached upon by brown 

 shading- 

 Wings more elongate, the outer margin straighter; costa 

 usually black-marked nearly to apex- 

 Wing with a yellow margin briseis Dyar 



