198 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



b. Walker's cunea " was doubtless 



punctatissima " (Lyman, p. 121, May number). 



2. a. Drury's cunea has the back and abdomen ash- 



colour (Drury's description). 



b. " There is no doubt of the identity of cunea and 



punctatissima" (Riley and Smith). 



3. a. Drury's figure shows a white abdomen. (Lyman, p. 128, May number), 

 b. " There can be no manner of doubt of Drury's figure. It represents 



the spotted form of Hyphantria ". (Dyar, p. 16, January number) 



No difficulty whatever is made of the logical conclusions that the 

 abdomen oi punctatissima x"?, yellowish, white at the edges and towards the 

 tip ; that it is ash-colour \ and furthermore, that it is tvhite. But when I 

 described the Quebec insect as having an abdomen yellow ('' yellowish "J, 

 white at the edges and towards the tip, why then " the description of the 

 abdomen at the last resort was conclusive " (Dyar). Conclusive of what ? 

 That Dr. Fyles was in "error" (Lyman). The description should be back 

 and abdomen ash-colour. 



However, the difficulty as to the abdomen in the case of cunea can be 

 easily cleared up by a comparison with congrua. 



Last year I sent a specimen of congrua to Washington. When it left 

 me the insect had an abdomen pure white. When it came back to me, the 

 abdomen was ash-coloured. The long fluffy feathers had been shaken off, 

 and only a slight down remained. Other moths of the batch to which this 

 belonged are losing their white clothing. One has the white in patches 

 only, both on the back and the abdomen. 



So also as regards my specimens oi S. cwiea, Drury. The male has 

 been to London, Out., and back (1,200 miles), and has now an ash-coloured 

 abdomen. The female that I mentioned in my first paper still answers to 

 Walker's description. A second female taken by Edgar Walters at Bourg 

 Louis has been less disturbed, and has more white and less yellow on the 

 abdomen. All these specimens were somewhat worn when they were 

 taken, and I think it very probable that originally they had white abdo- 

 mens, as the specimens of congrua had. The abdominal scales and 



feathers are alike in both insects. 



Lest the readers of the Canadian Entomologist should be misled 

 by Mr. Lyman's words, " I can see no resemblance beyond the most 

 superficial between his specimen and Drury's figure," I beg to state that 

 Mr. Lyman has never had my specimen in his possession. 



