74 bullp:tin 38, united states national museum. 



two black dots. Collar, lower half black, else white. Secondaries 

 snowy white. Beneath clear white, irrorate with a few gray scales. 



Expands 31-33""" ; 1.25-1.32 inches. 



Habitat. — Texas. 



Close to .nmplaria, bat evidently distinct by the black lined, collar, 

 and the more even pale color. I have seen Mr. Morrison's type, and 

 typical specimens of Mr. Grote's species, and despite Mr. Grote's state- 

 ment that " this can not be Mr. Morrison's digna,''^ the two species are 

 nnqnestional>ly identical. Mr. Morrison's type was a fully marked bnt 

 somewhat faded specimen, while Mr. Grote's material was fresh, bnt as 

 a whole more lightly marked. 



Geims NOCTUA Linn 



In nsing the term Noctua for the present assemblage of species, I 

 am gnided by Guenee's selection, rather than by the result of personal 

 investigation. Linne's original genus has been so subdivided that the 

 very term Noctua has been left without a meaning, at least I am not 

 aware that it is now used in a generic sense for any series of species. 

 To some series the term must be applied, and as the breaking up of the 

 Agrotes offered the opportunity, I follow M. Guenee in selecting a series 

 here as typical. Two Linnjean Noctua are in the N ormmiiana group, 

 w^hile the European representatives of the same type have several 

 others. 



As compared with the preceding, Noctua has spinose fore tibiiv; the 

 armature not very heavy ; the front is smooth, flat ; the antenna> in the 

 male simply ciliate; vestiture hairy, scaly, or mixed; primaries with 

 apices rectangular or rounded 5 the wings rather broad or subparallel, 

 narrow. 



It is allied to Peridroma in most of these characters, difteriug in the 

 wing form, as shown in the table. '^ 



Two series or groups, based upon the difference in structure of palpi 

 and in general style of maculation. 



Group Normaniana has the second joint of the palpi clavate at tip, 

 and the ordinary transverse maculation and spots distinct, while in 

 group Clandestlna the palpi are equal, and the maculation tends to be- 

 come obsolete or strigose. The species often have a peculiar sordid 

 depressed or flattened appearance, which is somewhat characteristic. 



Group NORMANIANA. 



Front full, somewhat bulging; anterior tibia spinose, but not heavily 

 armed at tip; the member moderate in length. Antenn;^ of S simple, 

 pubescent, or slightly serrate, the joints set with fine bristles. Norman- 

 iana has a long bristle at each side of each joint. Thorax nntufted, or 

 with low fore and aft tufts only; never a divided crest; somewhat de- 

 pressed in the majority of the species. Primaries moderately long, in 



