THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. i O 



We must wait upon the " Monograph ' for the reasons which induce 

 M. Ragonot to call the Family Phycitidce and the typical genus Phycita. 

 and not as I have given it, Phycidce and Phycis Haw. I have, however, 

 not yet seen a copy of Haworth. I regard the Phycidce or Phyciince as a 

 sub-family of the Pyra/idce ; and M. Ragonot's Anerastincc as merely a 

 tribal division of the sub-family. I am not then agreed with M. Ragonot's 

 divisional terms. 



I have had no occasion to study M. Ragonot's types. As the generic 

 term Ciris (p. 17) is long ago used by me for C. Wilsonii. I propose for 

 discigerclla the name Ragonotia after its learned discoverer. 



A NOTE UPON AUTHOR'S TYPES. 



BY A. R. GROTE. 



It has occurred to me to say a {ew words upon the subject of author's 

 types. It sometimes happens that a specimen is labelled " type," which 

 is not the true type, i. e., the one (or ones) from which the original de- 

 scription was drawn up and which accords with that description. This is 

 the criterion for types, that they do not contradict the original description. 

 The late Mr. Morrison sent me at one time a " type " of Harris's Agrotis 

 tessellata. Upon my wonder at his having such a specimen, I found it 

 was merely a compared example, but it should not have been labelled 

 " type." To my certain knowledge, Mr. Morrison on occasion labelled as 

 types subsequent material (vide genus Agrotis). Only the material at 

 hand and compared when the original description is drawn up, should be 

 labelled as " type." On this head I would say a word as to Walker's 

 types. Only when the evidence is complete and satisfactory should an 

 earlier name of Walker's replace a designation in use. What I call in- 

 complete evidence may be recently offered by Mr. Hulst in proposing to 

 change Selenia Ke?itaria. Dr. Packard it seems had figures drawn from 

 what are supposed to be Walker's types. There is no evidence that these 

 are in every instance the proper types. The cases where more than one 

 species was included by Mr. Walker are not solitary. Dr. Packard inter- 

 preted this figure as applying to another form of Selenia. Mr. Hulst 

 interprets it differently, and drops a settled name without a question, In 

 whatever way the matter is finally settled, Mr. Hulst would appear to have 

 acted without sufficient evidence, Having studied the original collection 



