REVISION OF Sl'ECIES OF THE GENU« AGliOTIS. 31 



brown julded. collar pale iiifcriorly, broa«lly tii»|)e(l with black. Ab(b>- 

 iiien and secoiuhiries dull iuscous. Transverse lines evident, geminate; 

 t. a. line not crossing the paler costal space, the inner line running in 

 an even curve from the subinedian vein to base. Clavifbrm pale. T. p. 

 line evenly sinuate, included space pale. Ordinary s^mts concolorous, 

 outlined by a paler line. The terminal space is paler than the s. t. 

 space, and except as marked by this contrast, the s. t. line is not evi- 

 dent. Costal part of s. t. s[)ace darkest. Beneath, dull fuscous, with 

 costal and outer margin powdered with blackish and with an extra dis- 

 cal line and discal lunate spot on each wing. 



Exi)ands 37""" ; 1.5 inches. 



Habitat. — California. 



The above descrii)tion was made from Mr. Morrison's type which is a 

 female. Mr. Morrison's original description is v^ery brief, and is as fol- 

 lows: 



"This species resembles the eastern alfernata, Grote, but it can be 

 separated by the following characters: Orbicular spot open above, not 

 subquadrate as in alternata. The median space is suffused with black. 

 Claviform si)ot distinct and disconcolorous. The exterior line is drawn 

 in below the cell ; and lastly the collar is black above, whitish and con- 

 trasting below." 



Judging from the above description Mr. Grote promptly referred the 

 species to alternata as a synonym. Later, on receiving a si)ecimen from 

 Mr. Morrison, marked c.rscriistigma he withdraws this reference and 

 otters a description essentially different as to coloration. Still later 

 Mr. Grote learned that the specimen sent him by Mr. Morrison was not 

 like the tyi)e, and he seems never to have really lecognized Mr. Mor- 

 rison's S])ecies. The result is the confusiou indicated in the prelimi- 

 nary remarks on this group. 



Mr. Morrison's comi)arisons are really very a])t and the species is a 

 good one. The thoracic tuftings are snuill, and the whole insect ap- 

 pears depressed, abdomen flattened. 



None of Mr. Grote's remarks apply to rhis species and the figure in 

 the Uuft'. JBull. refers to the form 1 have named siiffusa. 



Rhynchagrotis formalis Grote. 



1874. Grt., Bull. Rutl". Soc. Nat. Sci., ii, G), Jgrolis. 

 1878. Grt., Bull.., Surv., iv, 174, AgroHs. 

 1-87. Smith, I'roc. U. S. N.it. Mns., X, 450. 



var. i.NsuLAKis Groto. 

 1876. Grt., Bull. I'.ulV. Soc Nat. Sci., in. 8-2, Atjroiis. 



" $ An exceedingly dark and beautiful species, with silky squammation 

 and somewhat flattened form, aiul allied to our eastern A. coUari.s and 

 A. gcniculata, middle and hind tibi;e alone spinose, dark, intense black- 



