110 BULLETIN 38, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



eiable one, and owing to the fact that considerable variation exists 

 witliiu the species, tlieir limitation is not easy. In the U. S. National 

 Musenni collection are several series of bred specimens which will aid 

 in the study. The S antenune will undoubtedly aid in the separation 

 of the species as they have done in the suhyothica series. This group 1 

 have most carefully studied and believe the arrangement entitled to be 

 called final. The antennic of the male here afford valuable guides, and 

 confirm the existing separation of the forms while adding another spe- 

 cies in a Texan form that has been variously denominated suhgothica and 

 tricosa. Dr. Eiley has bred subgotJtiea, Jacnlifcra, and hcreJis^ and the 

 larva^ differ and further confirm the difference of the species. He has 

 in view the ])reparation of a paper treating these speci-'S from the bio- 

 logic side. 



Group SUBGOTHICA. 



This group contains si)ecies closely allied in general appearance and 

 structure — so closely allied, indeed, that four of them have been gen- 

 erally considered by some as varieties of one and the same species. 

 hi structure the species agree iu the nuiin with gr()U[) vencrabUis. The 

 tibia? are all spinose, the anterior broadening somewhat at tip, the ter- 

 minal spines strong. The front is rugose, broad, and full, apparently 

 alike in the species. The thorax is quadrate, with a distinct, though 

 rather low divided crest. The $ antenna? are serrate, ditleriug some- 

 M'hat in the species. In all these characters the s[)ecies agree with the 

 rcncrabilis group and differ from it only in ornamentation — the open 

 triangular orbicular at once separating the species from those of the 

 latter group. The harpes of the $ also agree in form with those of 

 the vcnerabHiH group j the clasper is single, long, acute, and but slightly 

 curved. 



Of the species, olivia is readily distinguished by the white secondaries 

 and constricted reniform. In the remainder of the species the reniform 

 is more or less evidently lunate, and the secondaries are dusky. Sub- 

 gothica is small and i)ale, the secondaries being dusky only toN\ard the 

 margin. The S antenna? are serrate, the joints on each side with 

 branched spines. Jaculifera and herelin are both larger, and have dusky 

 secondaries; herelis is darker, with a brownish tint, and with the mac- 

 ulation not so distinct, but seenis otherwise so closely related that were 

 it not for the differences in the S antennae I should not hesitate to refer 

 them as identical. In jaculifera the joints are much as in subgothica, 

 but the branched spines and serrations longer, while herelis has the joints 

 very short, broad, with long simple lateral bristles and short si)inules 

 and ciliie. 



Pectinicornis, which most nearly resemhles jaculifera^ has the antennal 

 joints like herelis, but with longer branches and even longer cilia\ 



In olivia the autenuii? are more like jaculifera. Figures of all these 

 forms argi given. 



