164 



XI. Determination of the Species of Moths Figured 

 in the "Natural History of New York" 



BY AUG. E. GROTE, A. M. 

 \Read before this Society, Sept. 18, 1874.J 



The subtitle of the volume which is devoted to Entomology in 

 the "Natural History of New York" reads: "Agriculture of New 

 York: comprising an account of the classification, composition and 

 distribution of the soils and rocks, and of the climate and agricul- 

 tural productions of the State; together with descriptions of the 

 more common and injurious species of Insects. By E. Emmons, 

 M. D. Volume V. Albany: printed by 0. Van Benthuysen, 1854." 

 The Preface concludes with the following exposition of the charac- 

 ter of the contents of the volume: "I have figured such insects as 

 I have seen, and know to belong to New York and New England ; 

 but I have not seen them in all their states, and am therefore fre- 

 quently indebted to others for the figures given of the larva and 

 pupa stages. Some are copied from Abbott & Smith's work on the 

 insects of Georgia, and some from other works of like kind. I have 

 figured very few foreign species, and these have had some special pur- 

 pose in view. The figures have been drawn from specimens of the 

 insects themselves, by E. Emmons, Jr., and are faithful and accurate 

 portraits of the individuals from which they were taken. It is diffi- 

 cult, however, to secure a finished and uniform coloring, especially 

 for so large an edition as three thousand copies. I do not deem it 

 necessary to point out the faults of this volume; for the keen sighted, 

 and those who are disposed to look after them will find them with 

 little trouble. I am persuaded, however, that the general reader, as 

 well as the student, will find in it many valuable records." 



A perusal of the text and an examination of the figures of the 

 moths, fail to persuade us that this volume contains anything like 

 a valuable record of any of the species. The severest fault com- 

 mitted is the insincerity of not usually especially indicating in the 

 text the borrowed figures and matter, so that it is difficult to find 



