94 GEO. D. HITLST. 



The family is one of considerable extent, comprising, in the world, 

 about one thousand species. Of these about two hundred ai'e from 

 the North American fauna. It is probable, however, that not half 

 of our species have as yet been described. 



The Phycitidfe were originally included, by Linnaeus, under the 

 group Phalena Tinea. Fabricius (Ent. Sys. Sup. p. 463, 1798) first 

 gave a distinctive name to the group calling it Phycis. This name 

 was, however, given to a group of fishes by Artedi in 1788. I am 

 informed by Dr. Hagen that the name " Phycis' was a|)plied again 

 to a group of fishes by Waldbaura in 1792, so the name was preoc- 

 cupied. Curtis (Brit. Ento. 1828, p. 238), recognizing the fact, pro- 

 posed the name '' Phycila' in place of Phycis Fab. In view of this, 

 as the family name must be based upon some included generic name, 

 the term Fhycid?e, often used for the group, cannot remain, but 

 instead there must be used the term Fh.ycitid?e as proposed by Mr. 

 Ragonot. 



The first division of the family into sections corresponding with 

 modern genera was made by Hiibner ( Verz. 1816), who se|)arated 

 the species of Europe then known into thirteen genera, of which tlic 

 following are re|)resented in North xVmerica : Hypochalcia, Xephop- 

 teryx, Zophodia, Epischaia, Myeiois and tSelagia. As with all of Hiib- 

 ner's genera in the " Verzeichniss" the descriptions are very meager, 

 and the determination must be made by the species ])laced under the 

 generic name. So far as Hiibner's genera of Phycitidie are con- 

 cerned, Mr. Ragonot (Ento. Mag. vol. xxii, pj). 18-19) gives the 

 following determinations regarding the species which are to be re- 

 ceived as ty|)ical : 



" Eacarphia (Cat. p. 864), included two species of C'ranibiis and 

 vinetella Fab., which latter becomes type of the genus. 



''Hypochalcia (Cat. p. 367), comprising ahenalis, cenealis and (frealis, 

 which are all synonymous with ahenella S. V. This genus, being- 

 composed of but one species, has very properly been retained by 

 Zeller, and characterized by him (Isis 1839, p. 188, 1848, p. 721). 



''Aaerasfia (Cat. p. 867). This genus comprises three true Hypo- 

 chalcia, and lastly lotella YLiib. ; it would have been proper to retain 

 the name of Anerastia for the species of Hypochalcia had not the 

 latter genus been so distinctly indicated as I have explained. The 

 genus has thus rightly been restricted by Zeller to lotella, and supei'- 

 sedes Araxes Steph., which was formed of three distinct modern 

 (jenera. 



