HENRY SKINNER 



219 



thought that tristis Boisduval might be the same as the funeralis 

 of Scudder and Burgess, but since Mons. Oberthiir has figured the 

 type of tristis we can be reasonably certain that no error has been 

 made, although to make the matter absolutely certain an exami- 

 nation of the genitalia of the type of tristis should be made. The 

 fixation of a single type has become a necessity for systematic work. 

 The following interesting communication has been received from 

 Mr. F. D. Godman, "I have lately received from Mons. Oberthiir 

 his fascicule 9, Etudes de Lepidopterologie Comparee and have in 

 it read your letter to him. I see you are in some doubt whether 

 Thanaos funeralis Scudder, is not the same as T. tristis Boisd. In 



Thanaos ti-istis Boisduval. 



the 'Biologia' I figured the genitalia' of the two species which, as 

 may be seen, t. 91 , differ considerably. The only point was whether 

 I had the true T. tristis from Durango (Mexico) and I therefore 

 figured a male Californian specimen, having only Mexican females. 

 Mons. Oberthiir's figures of tristis (type) is identical with my 

 Californian specimens dissected, and I therefore think there can be 

 no doubt about the distinctness of the two species, I hope this 

 note may help to solve your difficulty." 



Thanaos funeralis Scudder and Burgess, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., xiiii, 

 293, figs. 7L, 7U, 7R, 7Ub, 7Rb. 1870. Described from genitalia alone. 

 Type locality: Texas. 



Lintner, Thirtieth Report New York State Mus. Nat. Hist., 173, 1878 

 (Ent. Contributions, 4, 61, 1878). 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XL, 



