THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 175 



NOTES ON SOME MOTHS FROM THE COLLECTION OF 



MR. A. BOLTER. 



BY HARRISON C. DVAR, PH. D., NEW YORK. 



Hepialus hyperborcus, Moschler. 



This species exhibits a well niarlced local variation. Before dis- 

 cussing this I would correct the account in Journal N. Y. Ent. Soc, H., 

 1 68, in respect to the synonymy of confusns. This form is really the 

 same as roseicaput^ N. & D., as the description shows. How we were 

 misled into referring the name as a strict synonym, I cannot now recall. 

 It may be well, moreover, to retain a distinct name for the American 

 form until its life-history is known and we can be certain whether it is or 

 is not the same as the European ganna. 



H. hyperboreus occurs throughout the northern and mountainous 

 parts of North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is recorded 

 from Labrador [Moschler] ; Mt. Washington, N. H. [Mrs. Slosson] ; 

 Colorado [Grote] ; Calgary, Alberta [VVoUey Dod] ; Sierras of California 

 [Hy. Edvv.] ; Vancouver I,, B. C. [Bolter]; Cascade Range, B C. 

 [Neum. & Dyar] ; and Alaska [H. Edw.]. 



The colour of primaries is brown, varying from dark to pinkish or 

 yellowish-brown ; the silvery markings are complete in all the specimens 

 from the Rocky Mountains and eastward and south of Oregon. In the 

 Northwest, the silvery marks begin to be distinctly replaced by the 

 blackish shades which form their borders in specimens from Vancouver 

 Island (Matthewi). In the Cascades and Alaska the specimens have no 

 silvery marks, but are banded only with smoky blackish. The size of 

 the specimens is variable. The largest that I have seen is Mrs. Slosson's 

 example from Mt. Washington (50 mm.), and the smallest are some of the 

 specimens of AfcGlashani (30 mm.). The usual size is close to 40 mm., 

 ranging larger in the East. From present information, I would arrange 

 the varieties and synonymy thus : — 



Hepialus hyperboreus {^^ganna of Europe?). 



hyperboreus, Moschler, 1862. Labrador and Mt. Washington; ex- 

 panse, 40-50 mm. 



puicher, Grote, 1864. Colorado, and Alberta, Canada; expanse, 

 36—38 mm. 



McGhisJianiy Hy. Edw,, 18S6. Truckee, California ; expanse, 30-39 

 mm. 



