THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 85 



with the remark that if his recollection is right, Bairdii is very near or 

 perhaps same as var. Asteroides (his var. d. of Asterias.) Bairdii and 

 Asterias are two distinct and well marked, though allied species, and my 

 description of the former was explicit enough. So far as yet appears, it 

 is restricted to So. Utah and Arizona, but probably will be found in 

 Mexico. Asterias is found also in Arizona (as well as Mexico), and I 

 received several examples $ $ from the Wheeler Expeditions. They do 

 not differ more from the northern form than individuals of a single brood 

 (from one laying of eggs) are found to differ in W. Va. Invariably they 

 are characterized by deep fulvous spots of under side. 



P. Asteroides, Reakirt, Pr. Ac. N. Sci., Phil., 1866, p. 43 ; not 

 Strecker plate vi. fig. 4, and description. 



Reakirt described this species thus : " Marked nearly as in Asterias ; 

 the inner yellow macular row (i. e. discal band) upon the fore wings is almost 

 obsolete, except the spot upon the inner margin, which is prolonged into a 

 dash. Hind wings as in Asterias female, but the blue clouds are reduced to 

 small rounded patches ; tail not so long as in Asterias. Below, a (discal) 

 row of large fulvous sagittiform spots on fore wings. Secondaries as in 

 Asterias." I indicate the important part of this description by italics. 

 The female was not described, and apparently Mr. Reakirt knew only a 

 single male, from Mexico. 



Mr. Strecker figures a female but describes both sexes. The male is 

 said to have an inner (discal) band of eight triangular yellow spots, and 

 as the contrary is not stated, it is to be inferred that this band is con- 

 spicuous, and not obsolete; secondaries a yellow mesial (discal) band divided 

 into seven parts (or spots) ; blue clusters, &c, (which are always 

 found in Asterias £); beneath the spots of discal band on primaries fulvous; 

 secondaries same ; tails like Asterias. Female has the discal band of 

 primaries a little broader and of same width throughout. His ^ £ are 

 from Costa Rica, He also says that Reakirt's type $ has the spots of discal 

 row of primaries much suffused with black, the last few near costa obso- 

 lete or nearly so. Nothing said of the remarkable mention by Reakirt 

 that secondaries are like female Asterias, excepting in the size of the blue 

 patches ; which means that the discal band and marginal spots are as in 

 Asterias female. 



Plainly here are two different insects described under one name, and 

 Strecker's Asteroides is not at all that of Reakirt. The insect figured as a 



