62 BULLETIN 38, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



by the characters used. Ypsllon is the most typical species, bat uoue 

 of the others resemble it very closely. 

 The si)ecies may be separated iu synoptic form, as follows: 



T. 11. liue, pallid ; eveu : 



Priuuiries, wide; color, red browu ; cull between stigmata, darker .. .badinodes. 

 Primaries, narrower; color, bluish yray ; outer halt of luediau space, fuscous. 



VIOLAlilS. 



T. 1). liue, dark; irregular: 



Primaries, loug and uarrow; autenuie lengthily pectinated; a saggitate dash from 



middle of outer side of reniform vpsilon. 



Primaries, shorter and broader; anteun:e shortly pectinate and bristled ; stigmata 



conuectcd with black GENICULAta. 



Agrotis badinodes Grt. 

 1874. Grt., Can. Ent., vi., 13, Agrotis. 



Thorax and primaries, red brown ; collar, deep blackish brown; s. t. 

 space, a uarrow median shade, and space between the ordinary spots 

 darker. Basal and t. a. line even, narrow, darker browu ; a distinct black 

 spot on t. a. liue at the median vein, marking the lower edge of orbicular. 

 T. p. liue evenly and slightly convex outwardly; darker brown, narrow, 

 followed by a distiuct pale shade which gives the characteristic appear- 

 ance to the iusect. The ordinary spots are large and faintly outlined; 

 claviform faintly indicated by a black dot at outer end ; s. t. liue cou- 

 colorous or but slightly ])aler, irregular, marked by the difference iu 

 color between the s. t. and terminal space. Secondaries fuscous, with a 

 brownish shade; beneath powdered with reddish with a distiuct black- 

 ish common extra discal liue and discal luuule. 



Expauds 35-39""", 1.40-1.5G inches. 



Habitat. — Maryland, New York, Canada, eastern and northern 

 Uuited States. 



The species is common and easily distinguished. The primaries are 

 wide and comparatively short. The color, maculation, aud pectinate 

 antennae form a combination so peculiar that the species is easily rec- 

 ognized. No life history of the species has been written. 



Agrotis violaris G. and E. 

 1868. Grt. and Rob., Tr. Am. Ent. Soc, i, 353, pi. 7, f. 59, <?, Agrotis. 



Ground color gray, irrorate with fuscous browu, outer half of median 

 space also fuscous ; s. t. space more densely mixed with dark scales 

 than the other pale portions of wing. Basal line indistinct, t. a. line 

 distiuct, rather broad, slightly augulate on costa and internal vein, 

 else straight. T. p. line of ground color, margined each side with the 

 dark shading of mediau aud s. t. space; its course slightly convex out- 

 wardly, most evidently so opposite the cell. S. t. liue with three out- 

 ward angulations, detined hy the coutrast between the somewhat 

 darker s. t. and coucolorous terminal si)ace. The orbicular is small, 

 faintly outliued with dark scales ; reniform elongate, slightly constricted 



