318 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



the name of the species, with Nitela as the varietal name, on the ground 

 of priority, as Guene'e described Nebris first and then Nitela, saying : 

 " Taille et couleur de la Nebris, dont elle ne differe que par l'absence 

 complete des taches blanches, et les palpes un peu plus longs et plus 

 ascendants. "f 



An additional reason for this position, if any were needed, is that 

 Nebris has the typical markings of the genus, while Nitela departs from 

 the type. 



Another matter to which I am obliged to take exception is the 

 giving of the name Atlantica by Prof. J. B. Smith to the form which had 

 been supposed to be identical with the Nictitans of Europe. Speyer had 

 recognized at least a varietal difference in 1875, and named the American 

 form var. Americana, and if its specific distinctness be recognized, Speyer's 

 name must be used, as there is no warrant under the law of priority for 

 setting it aside. 



Last year I was informed by Mr. Winn and Mr. Brainerd, between 

 the middle and end of July* that the larvae of Rut 1 'la could be obtained 

 commonly, boring in the burdock. I was not able to look for them at 

 once, but went out early in August, and succeeded in finding about half a 

 dozen bored stems, which I took home. Later, on cutting them open to 

 see if I had anything, I found the burrows in all but one tenanted only 

 by wood-lice and slugs, but in the last one opened I found a pupa. This 

 I kept in the stem, under a glass shade, and about September 1st the 

 imago emerged and proved to be new to our members, but Dr. Dyar to 

 whom I subsequently showed it, thought it only a varietal form of 

 Ne co pin a. 



Shortly afterwards I went to Europe, but did not take the specimen 

 with me, as my trip was a hurried one, and I was afraid it might 

 meet with some accident, but when visiting the British Museum I looked 

 up the specimens in this genus, but could not find anything to agree with 

 it. I naturally became much interested in the group, and through the 

 kindness of friends, especially Mr. Henry Bird, by a few purchases and by 

 my work during the past season, have succeeded in getting together a fair 

 representation of most of the North American forms. 



This year I again searched in the same locality, a little earlier in the 

 season, and secured five or six of the larvae, and succeeded in rearing five 



fSpec. Gen. Noct. I., 124. 



