2 JOHN B. SMITH. 



littli' proiluced centrally, excavated on each side of the middle to 

 tlie base of the joriniaries where it is shouldered. Behind the collar 

 there is a central thoracic crest which is usually divided and may 

 extend to the thorax, though much reduced and not there divided. 

 Abdomen extending to and usually much beyond the anal angle of 

 the secondaries, untufted, slightly tufted or with prominent dorsal 

 tufts, obtusely terminated, sides parallel, a little flattened. The 

 general form of the primaries has been already described, the sec- 

 ondaries have the outer margin a little excavated below the apex, 

 in other respects proportionate to the primaries. Legs stout, moder- 

 ate or rather long, spurs well developed, otherwise unarmed and the 

 tibire not spinulate. Vestiture of the under side dense woolly. 



The venation is normal, secondaries with vein 5 from the cross 

 vein remote from 4, ranging from obsolete to fairly developed, but 

 always much weaker than any of the others. 



The genus is readily recognized and fairly well defined, none of 

 the characters varying widely. Such diffei-ences as occur are men- 

 tioned under specific headings. 



The moths usually make their appearance in Fall, hibernate as 

 adults and again fly a short time in early Spring. Some of the 

 species are commonly found at night in or around the sap pails in 

 the " bush " when maple sugar is made. 



In geographical distribution the species range northwardly, but 

 extend from tiie Atlantic to the Pacific. None are southern and 

 none are peculiar to the plains — so far as known. 



In studying this genus I have had before me, besides my own 

 material, all that belonging to Drs. Barnes and Ottolengui, a selec- 

 tion of specimens from the U. S. National Museum and a few exam- 

 ples from Mr. Doll. I have also compared and looked carefully 

 over the material in the Strecker and Neumogen collections as well 

 as that in the American Museum of Natural History and the An)eri- 

 can Entomological Society. 



Two color divisions are readily recognized, accompanied by a cer- 

 tain difference in habitus which is obvious enough, but impossible 

 of strict definition. 



The first of these divisions varies from creamy white to luteous 

 and to bright red-brown ; the second is of some shade of ash gray, 

 ranging from almost white to dark blue gray or to greenish. In the 

 first division the species are as a whole somewhat smaller, the mark- 

 ings better defined, and there is a dusky j)atch in the submedian 



