THE CANADIAN ENTOxMOLOGlST, 



a radiate type of maculation." Mr. Grote, writing from Europe, of a 

 common European species, presumably had specimens at hand for 

 examination, and to the scientific student it would seem as if a clinching 

 argument could be presented in the simple statement that vtstigialis 

 presented just these structural characters. But except for a reference to 

 the maculation. such a statement is carefully avoided ! It may be added, 

 indeed, that in nearly every case where Mr. Grote has replaced a generic 

 name proposed by me by an "earlier" term, he gives no structural 

 characters to sustain his point. It is loose assertion merely. I found in 

 the Martindale collection at the Ac. Nat. Sci. of Philadelphia, a good pair 

 of vestigialis ; through the courtesy of Mr. E. L. Graef, of Brooklyn, N. 

 Y., I obtained another pair ; and from the U. S. National Museum I 

 obtained two additional males, by the kindness of the officials in charge. 

 I compared these carefully with the descriptions of the species accessible 

 to me, that no reasonable doubt might exist as to their identity and then 

 found, as I had expected from Mr. Grote's silence, that there is no pro- 

 tuberant, rough front, and there are no heavily armed fore tibiae ! The 

 species belongs to Agrotis as restricted by me. If, as Mr. Grote states, 

 vestigialis is the type of Agronoma, this name can never replace Feltia, 

 with ducens (siibgothica) as type, whether we use it in a generic or sub- 

 generic sense. I have absolutely no prejudice in favour of any of the 

 generic names adopted or proposed by me, and am ready to suppress any 

 or all of them in favour of others previously used. I ask only that there 

 shall be a scientific demonstration of their identity ; not merely a loose 

 statement without facts given to support it. Lepidopterists have been too 

 long looked upon as triflers rather than as students, because of this very 

 lack of scientific accuracy in their work ; but I am happy to say that to 

 the more recent writers, including the Messrs. Slingerland and Dyar, this 

 reproach cannot be made. With the beginning of a Scientific study, 

 structural characters are discovered in all stages that upset our previous 

 notions, and the classification of the order is therefore in an unsettled 

 condition. I believe that it will remain so for some time to come ; but 

 every accurate contribution adds clearness, and while their novelty may 

 induce the placing of too much stress upon newly discovered facts, they 

 will, eventually, be fitted into their proper places. 



Now, concerning the term Noctniihe. v^hich Mr. Grote proposes to 

 replace by Agrotid(V 1 He says : " The family name Agrotidce is pro- 

 posed instead of the usual terra Noctuidce since the generic title Noctna 



