240 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



three plates. Forty-one species are figured, of which three do not belong 

 to the Pacific fauna as far as known, but are given for convenience of 

 comparison. Twenty-seven new species are described. 



The material for this wofk was collected by the author during a sporting 

 expedition extending from the middle of May, 1871, to the end of June, 

 1872. The author alludes to the close resemblance to European forms 

 presented by this group, and which appears to be a general characteristic 

 of the Lepidopterous fauna of Western North America. Some species 

 were found to present extensive variations in size and color, and in one 

 or two cases the variation was so great that had not the intermediate con- 

 necting links been found, the extreme forms must have been considered 

 as distinct species. This variation was particularly observable in the 

 genera Amblyptilus, CEdematophorus and Lioptilus. 



The European species, Platyptilus Bertrami Rossi., Amblyptilus cos- 

 modactylus Hiibn., Ptetophorus monodactylus Linn, and Alvcita hexadactyla 

 Linn. , were found. The first three of these species are also found in 

 New England, that is, if P. Bischoffii Zeller is identical with Bertrami, as 

 given by this author, and of which I have little doubt. This is our most 

 abundant species in New England. I have sent examples to Prof. Zeller, 

 who expresses the opinion that ochrodactylus, Bertrami and Bischoffii are 

 one. A knowledge of the larva of our species and its habits might settle 

 the question. I am strongly of the opinion that the larvae feed in the 

 stalks of our common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), since the moths are 

 often taken about this plant, and since the European species feed in the 

 stalks of Achillea ptarmica and Tanacetum vulgare. The moth appears in 

 New England in June, and very probably the habits of the larvae are 

 similar to those of the borer of which an account is given by D. S. Kelli- 

 cott, Can. Ent., vol. xii., No. 6. I would be glad of any information in 

 regard to the larval habits of this or any other species of this group, of 

 which I am at present making a special study. 



To return from this digression — Platyptilus cardui Zeller = P. 

 carduidactylus Riley, Oxyptilus Delawaricus Zeller, and Oxyptilus nigro- 

 ciliatus Zeller, occurred in California, all three of which are found on the 

 Atlantic coast. I have found the last named species in several collections 

 labeled as tenuidactylus Fitch, and Walsingham saw it under that name in 

 Central Park Museum, New York. If Dr. Fitch's collection should ever 

 become accessible to Entomologists, several perplexing questions of 

 identity might be answered. The cosmopolitan and extremely variable 



