144 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



entirely a^^rec with European and Asiatic Connna. namely, in the shape 

 and arran^ei/icnt of the white spots on the under side of secondaries. The 

 interrupted row of spots beyond the middle of the secondaries in typical 

 Coniina consists, as is well known, of six more or less quadrangular spots 

 separated by the nervules, two of which, often somewhat larger and oblong 

 in shape, stand below the costal margin in cellules 7 and 6, one (a double 

 spot) between nervules 4 and 6 opposite the middle cell, and also one in 

 cellules 3, 2 and i, which last usually has an appendage turned toward 

 the inner angle. These spots form two rows which meet at an angle of 

 from 65'' to 90, in the vertex of which stands the spot between nervules 

 4 and 6. The three upper spots always, and the three lower ones usually, 

 form a straight row with the spot standing in the vertex of the angle ; 

 sometimes these lower spots stand somewhat out of line and farther from 

 the spot in the vertex. The size of the spots varies in individual speci- 

 mens very considerably ; sometimes they become so small that they stand 

 widely separated from each other, sometimes so large that they entirely 

 meet. Rarely one of the spots is wanting (that in cellule i or in cellule 

 7). In the American specimens, on the other hand, the greatest variation 

 in the form, size, number ajid arrangement of these spots is presented, 

 even in such as Mr. Scudder includes in the same species (e. g. Colorado) ; 

 and not one of thcin shows the form and arrangement of the spots as 

 described in typical Comma. Ei'cn the two sexes in these forms seem to 

 differ much more strongly than in Comma, which shows scarcely any 

 recognizable difference between the male and female, except that in the 

 latter the spots are usually larger than in the male. A second noteworthy 

 difference between European Comma and its American congeners is that in 

 the former the fringes on the under side are ahuays spotted laith fuscous, 

 at least (in secondaries) on their lower half, while in the American forms 

 the fringes are as a rule unspotted. Yet this distinction is not invariable, 

 for two of the specimens submitted to me (a male of Colorado and one 

 of Manitoba) have spotted fringes. There exists then, so far as I can 

 discover, only the difference drawn from the under side of secondaries, 

 which, if it were constant, would suffice to separate the American forms 

 from Comma. But that it is constant appears to me somewhat improba- 

 ble, on account of the very great variability which is shown in the shape, 

 number and arrangement of the scpiare spots in the American specimens 

 of these forms ; and Jiiba (as above remarked) gives a direct proof that 

 we can not rely upon this feature. A second ])roof is furnished by Mr. 



