30 BULLETIN 38, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



ceous ; strongly distinctive features. Tlie renuiiniUr of the species have 

 the collar coucolorous and not black tipped. 



Facula represents /orwrniis- of the first group in wing form and general 

 habitus. 



Bistracta represents exsertistigma of the previous section in color and 

 sordid, depressed appearance. It is i)Owdery, but the powdering is 

 evenly distributed, the s. t. space not contrasting. 



DiscoidaUs is much like the preceding in color and habitus, but is 

 less depressed, scarcely powdery, the s. t. space distinctly darker than 

 the rest of the wing, and the orbicular nearly complete. 



Grenulata and confusa agree in distinct tufting, somewhat prominent 

 collar and produced apices of primaries, differing from each other by 

 the dark color and concolorous costa of the former, and the bright red 

 color and pallid costa of the latter. 



Gostata was referred to this series by Mr. Grote, comparing it with 

 exsertistigma {confusa), and it may refer to my species. He says, how- 

 ever, that the t. p. line is single, finely lunulata, and that the collar has 

 a black line — features which seem to indicate rather the tesselata group 

 where there are a number of species with the same general type of 

 maculation. 



In tabular form the species autoptically known to me are as follows : 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



Collar broadly black at tip. 



Smoky browu ; costa, transverse liues aud outer margin luteous.. .exsertistigma. 

 Dark purplish or gray brown ; transverse liues distinct; robust; primaries short, 



rounded outwardly formalis. 



Red brown ; transverse lines feebly marked ; t. p. hardly traceable; less robust; 



primaries more elongate, and produced at apex binominalis. 



Collar not tipped with black. 

 Eobust; abdomen short, plump ; primaries short, outwardly rounded ; dark black. 



ish brown, lines faint facula. 



Less robust ; primaries longer ; abdomen more slender. 



T. a. liues crossing the costal space, which is not strongly contrasting in color. 

 Dull luteous, powdered with black; s. t. space not darker than median pace, 



DISTKACTA. 



S. t. space darkest, orl)icular tending to become complete superiorly, 



DISCOIDALIS. 



Deep purplish browu ; s. t. space evidently paler than median space, 



CIIENULATA. 



T. a. lines not crossing the broadly pallid costa. 



Bright red brown, costa and collar yellow CONFUSA. 



Rhynchagrotis exsertistigma Morr. 



1874. Morr. Proc, Bost. Soc. N. H., xvii, 166, Agrotis. 



1875. Grt., Can. Ent., vii, 26, alternata. 



1875. Grt., Can. Ent., vii, 101, an sp. dist. alternata. 



1875. Grt., Bull. Buff. Soc. N. Sci., ii, 303 an sp. dist. 



1876. Grt., Bull. Buff. Soc. N. Sci., in, 79, Agrotis. 

 1887. Smith, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., x, 450, Agrotis. 



Color dark clay yellow, median and submedian spaces darker, and 

 powdered with dark fuscous or blackish. Thorax with a shade of 



