110 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



The forms of Arctia which I have described (and for the most part 

 figured) as distinct species are : A. Satmdersii, Persephone, Anna., Blakei, 

 Ncvadensis, Mexicana, Ac/iaia, Alichabo. Assuming that I am correct in 

 my present paper, that Mr. Neumoegen has wrongly identified Michabo, 

 then these are all good species except Anna, which Mr. Neumoegen con- 

 siders a black variety of my Persephone. In this, which has been before 

 suggested, I believe the author is correct, since we have other black and 

 yellow Arctians (and other moths) which vary in a similar fashion. I 

 have never had sufficient material to determine the question ; have never 

 seen but one ^ Persephone, which shared the ornamentation of the ^ . 

 Consequently An7ia may be a $ dimorphic variety. The stripes on fore 

 wings are however narrower and paler also, as they seemed to me, hence 

 my doubts. Added to this, the form Anna was first discovered by me, 

 before I described the " ground form " Persephone. Other two forms of 

 Arctia I have described, suspecting them at the time not to constitute 

 distinct species, viz., Stretchii and Siiowi. The first of these, differing 

 only by the basal band of fore wings from Intermedia, is without doubt a 

 variety, as Mr. Neumoegen treats it, and I was wrong in cataloguing it as 

 distinct ; I do not know, however, the differences between Intermedia and 

 Satmdersii. He considers Snowi as distinct from Figurata or Decoraia, 

 and in the absence of further evidence this is the correct course to pursue. 

 In the face of the fact that the larvae are not all known, we should not be 

 hasty in drawing in forms of Arctia, which yet may prove to be only 

 varieties. If we have finally to separate these again, it makes unneces- 

 sary confusion. When two forms exhibit such differences as are usually 

 of a specific character, we are warranted in treating them as such^ 

 until proof is forthcoming showing them to be mere varieties. Breeding 

 from the egg is the only sure way. On p. 7, Bull. Br. Ent. Soc, Mr. 

 Hulst brings together four species of Catocala, with the naive remark : 

 "As may be imagined from the above, this (C. polygama) is a very 

 variable species " ! And this Mr. Hulst did in face of the fact that of 

 two of the forms, C. polygama Guen., and C. crataegi Saund., the larvae 

 were known and described quite differently. 



