Books about North American Moths 
in 1866, contains descriptions of a multitude of moths found 
within the United States and Canada. Unfortunately Walker’s 
descriptions are not always recognizable, and his classification as 
to families and genera was at times very careless. In 1859 
Brackenridge Clemens published in the Journal of the Academy 
of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Vol. IV., pp. 97-190, a 
“Synopsis of the North American Sphingides.” In i860 the 
Smithsonian Institution issued a “Catalogue of the Described 
Lepidoptera of North America,” compiled by the Rev. J. G. 
Morris. This catalogue, which was the first to appear, is now 
antiquated. In 1862 the same institution published a book by 
the same author, entitled “A Synopsis <?f the Described Lepi¬ 
doptera of North America.” It is almost wholly a compila¬ 
tion. The first part is devoted to the butterflies of the region. 
From pp. 122-314 the book is devoted to descriptions of the 
moths, principally extracted from the writings of Harris, Clemens, 
and Walker, and these are continued in the Supplement, pp. 
330-350. The work is not wholly without value. 
This brief review of the literature issued previous to the out¬ 
break of the great Civil War in America, covers practically every¬ 
thing of importance upon the subject which had appeared up to 
that time. The period which has followed has been character¬ 
ized by greater activity in all scientific directions, and the prin¬ 
cipal works which have appeared upon the moths of the United 
States during the past forty years are herewith given in a list, 
which, while not by any means complete, is sufficiently full to 
enable the student to ascertain where to find information for the 
prosecution of his studies, when he shall have acquainted him¬ 
self with the contents of this volume. 
PERIODICALS CONTAINING MUCH INFORMATION IN REGARD 
TO THE MOTHS OF NORTH AMERICA 
Bulletins of the U. S. Department of Agriculture (Division of Ento¬ 
mology) . (Published occasionally.) 
Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society, Vols. I-VII, 1878-1885. 
Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Vols. I-IV, 1873- 
1884. 
Canadian Entomologist, Vols. I-XXXIV, 1869-1903, London, Ontario. 
(Published monthly.) 
Entomologica Americana, Vols. I-V, Brooklyn, 1885-1889. 
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