122 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



In 1773, Drury described his Bombyx cunea in his " Illustrations of 

 Exotic Entomology," while Abbot & Smith illustrated and described 

 their Phalrena punctatissima in 1797. I have never seen the original 

 edition of Drury, but possess the edition edited by Westwood in 1837, ^"^ 

 have no reason to think that Drury's description was modified in any way 

 in the editing. 



The description is as follows : 



"Alis albis, anticis maculis permultis, posticis duabus nigris, 

 abdomine concolori nigro-maculato." 



" Upper Side. — Antennae pectinated and black. There is no 

 appearance of any tongue. Head white. Back and abdomen ash colour. 

 Anterior wings white, with a great number of spots, differently shaped, of 

 a sooty black colour. On the external margin are five spots, those 

 nearest the tips being shaped like triangles. Posterior wings white, with 

 a sooty spot on each near the external edge, and a very faint small mark 

 near the exterior angle. Under Side. — Legs black. Breast and abdomen 

 ash colour. The wings marked as on the upper side." 



"Alar expanse i inch 5 lines." "Habitat: New York." The 

 figure shows a moth of about 35}^ mm. in alar expanse. 



i\bbott & Smith described their Phalaena puctatissima as follows : 



" Ph. Bombyx elinguis, alis deflexis corporeque niveis nigro punctatis, 

 thorace utrinque lunula nigra." 



Phalasna cunea, Drury, is cited as a synonym, and then they say : 



" Whether this be the cunea of Mr. Drury or not, it deserves a more 

 expressive, or, rather, less erroneous, name. The character above given 

 applies to the male only, the female being entirely white." 



Westwood, in editing the re-issue of Drury's plates, says of cunea, 

 which he calls a Spilosoma : " There seems little reason for doubting 

 that this is identical with the Phalaena punctatissima of Abbot & Smith, 

 of which the female is entirely v/hite. The name proposed by Drury 

 evidently alludes to the triangular spots on the margin of the anterior 

 wings, and seems quite as expressive as that employed by Sir J. E. 

 Smith, who seems to have treated Drury's work on several occasions as 

 scarcely deserving of notice." 



No subsequent writer, so far as I am aware, has questioned the 

 identity of cunea, Drury, and punctatissima, A. & S., except the Rev. 

 Dr. Fyles. 



In 1828, Harris described Arctia textor in the 7th Vol. of the Neiv 



