THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 149 



ravelling are the characters of existing species in all their stages, and the 

 sadly imperfect, almost failing, record of fossil species. To add to the 

 difficulty, the species have been distributed and redistributed: affected by 

 geological changes, modified by differences in temperature, moulded by 

 the winds. It is clearly impossible to arrange existing species in a linear 

 series and thereby express also their probable descent. We can only 

 group them according to natural characters and for purposes of con- 

 venience. Undoubtedly our categories, through their characters, corre- 

 spond vaguely to the general plan of evolution. But the arrangement of 

 our catalogues and collections must remain artificial in the main, con- 

 ditioned by our own physical limitations. Our mental picture of these 

 insects remains relatively imperfect, but enlarges through new studies and 

 fresh thoughts. 



Errata et Addenda. — Vol. XXL, p. 123, line 10, for Noduidce read 

 Noctuiiice; id., p. 155, line 30, for DasychinincE read Dasychirince. The 

 first three North American genera in the list, on p. 157, I refer to the 

 tribe Boinbycoidi, the rest to the Apatelini ; the tribal divisions accident- 

 ally omitted. Id., p. 189, line 34, for merely read mainly. In connection 

 with my remarks on Gortyna, p. 192, I refer to my paper on this genus 

 and Oc/iria, p. 139, written subsequently. Id., p. 229, line 19, insert 

 "apices of the " before " still pointed primaries"; id., p. 230, line 29, for 

 pyramided x^2,A pyramidea ; id., p. 230, after saiicia insert claiidestina ; 

 Vol. XXII., p. 29, line 23, for Calopharia read Calop/iasia ; id., p. 30, 

 line 2, for form read tribe ; id., p. 30, line 9, for slimy read shiny ; id., 

 id., line 17, for Hatney read Hatuey ; id., p. 28, line 3, dele "or 

 Morrisoni." Dr. Thaxter inclines to consider sidus = vinulenta, while I 

 sought for it in red forms of VValkeri. The latter species is nearer the 

 European satelliiia, which tristigmaia dXso rtstvnb\QS. Without Guenee's 

 type I think no certainty can be obtained. While I think the outlines of 

 a more correct classification of the family are here given, certain points 

 remain to be discussed, such as the separation of Itigura as a distinct 

 tribe, while the location of certain genera will be altered when minuter 

 comparisons can be made and the full life history of the species is known. 

 As nature did not produce these creatures in a linear series, one after 

 another, we can only approximately exhibit their relations in our cata- 

 logues and collections. 



