148 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



its official representative refuses to recognize the application of type labels 

 to the specimens with which they are associated in the British Museum, 

 why should anyone else give greater credit to similar labels in the 

 U. S. National Museum ? 



Dr. Dyar is not even consistent : it rather suits him to restore 

 the term clarescens to the form which Mr. Grote originally and cor- 

 rectly so identified, though the description applies so much better to 

 haesitata that I felt myself entirely safe in following Mr. Butler's reference 

 of the name to the latter species. But because hamame/is, as applied to 

 the form afterwards named afflicta by Mr. Grote, does not agree with his 

 preferences, he suggests its application to what Mr. Grote named sitbochrea, 

 because the description better suits that form. 



The question narrows itself to this : Which is the court of final resort, 

 the type specimen which the author named and intended to describe, or the 

 description which, if it does not apply to the specimen it was made for, may 

 apply to nothing at all ? 



In reference to the var. b of brumosa, Dr. Dyar is correct in saying it 

 is not described ; but Guene'e evidently received additional information 

 and perhaps specimens after writing the original description, for he refers 

 again to the species on p. 390 of the 3rd volume of the Noduelites, 

 without adding to or changing the characterization of the adult. 



Mr. Walker is not particularly good authority, but it is an indication 

 at least that he suggested brumosa and Jiamamelis as sexes of one species; 

 and Mr. Walker was not famous as a lumper either. Assuming my 

 suggestions as to synonymy to be correct, Walker's remark is not so 

 far out, especially when that var. "b" is considered ; but assuming 

 Dr. Dyar to be correct, the suggestion becomes ridiculous, because 

 Walker, ever on the lookout for differences, simply could not have 

 considered Jiamamelis,- Auct. (not Gn.), as the same as subochrea. The 

 bare fact is that the specimen which in the British Museum is marked as 

 the type of //amame/is, Gn., is that form which Mr. Grote afterward called 

 afflicta, and that the form to which Dr. Dyar now wishes to apply the name 

 brumosa was apparently not in Guenee's hands at all ! 



The twentieth annual meeting of the Royal Society of Canada 

 will be held at Ottawa, beginning on Tuesday, May 21st, under the 

 Presidency of Mr. Louis Frechette, C. M. G., LL. D. 



