806 A. R. Grote's Notes on the Zygsenldse of Cuba. 



the s. c. nervules. Along and within external margin, three or four 

 interspaceal, unequal, pale spots. Secondaries with a narrow, rather 

 even brownish-black band along external margin, enclosing a larger, 

 pale, apical spot, and three or four smaller, triangular spots before anal 

 angle. Expanse, 9 , 2.60 inches. Length of body, 1.00 inch. 



Habitat.— €uba, (Poey). Coll. Ent. Soc. Phil. 



Number 597, Poey's MS. Catalogue. 



MELANCHROIA, Hubner. 

 Melanchroia fumosa. n. s. 



S , $ . Smoky black. Head and thorax dark honey-yellow, legs 

 pale smoky; abdomen, above, smoky black, beneath, except centrally, 

 honey-yellow, a little paler than thorax. Antennae, smoky black. The 

 anal valves in the male are very long and prominent, clothed with ho- 

 ney-yellow scales and laterally at their base with paler spreading 

 .scales. 



Primaries, smoky black, all the "veins" brought distinctly into re- 

 lief by paler scales, an apical white patch j fringes, except where bor- 

 dering the white apices, dark. 



Under surface resembling upper, except that the veins are not mark- 

 ed with paler scales. 



Secondaries, smoky black, immaculate; fringes at apices broadly 

 marked with white. Under surface resembling upper. In the single 

 % specimen I have before me, the "veins" on the under surface are 

 beautifully brought into relief by pale scales, unlike the female in this 

 respect, and more distinctly than on the upper surface of primaries in 

 either sex, perhaps partly owing to the somewhat darker hue of the 

 posterior wings. Expanse, % and $ , 1.50 inch. Length of body, 

 0.60 inch. 



Habitat.— Cuba, (Poey). Coll. Ent. Soc. Phil. 

 Number 599, Poeyh MS. Catalogue. 



In size and ornamentation this species bears a close resemblance to 

 M. cephise, Hubner (" Verzeichniss"). It differs by the absence of the 

 intense blue-black color of the wings which is expressed by Cramer, 

 who originally figures the species, in the words: "sur le fond noir se 

 trouve un chatoyant bleu obscur." — Exot. Vol. IV, p. 182. I have a 

 specimen from Mexico, which I owe to the kindness of Mr. W. H. 

 Edwards, which has this peculiar blue-black ground color, and differs 

 in this respect from the Cuban species, as well as by certain less promi- 

 nent and comparative characters, so far as I can judge from a siugle 

 specimen. The general color of the two insects is very distinct, when 

 compared together. 



