AMERICAN LEPIDOPTERA. 21 



where it does not attain the costal margin, tapering to anal angle which 

 it hardly reaches ; fringes, whitish, as is the costal margin. Under sur- 

 face of wings, pale yellow; a black discal dot, sub-terminal band (this 

 on the primaries is very broad, oblique, and discontinued at about the 

 centre of the wing, when, below it, the sub-terminal line of the upper 

 surface is apparent), and a broad, terminal, black shade on both pair 

 of wings. 



Expanse, % , 0.80 inch. Length of hodi/^ 0.35 inch. 



Habitat. — Atlantic District. (Fenna. !) 



Resembles some of the European species referred by Westwood to 

 Pyrausta. The primaries are less trigonate than in the common Botys 

 iusequalis, Lethrej\ (^Ilcrhula insequa/is, Guenee). 



Botys ventralis, n. sp. (Plate 2, fig. 23, % .) 



iMal'^ and Female. — Blackish-brown, slightly glossy, varying in the 

 depth of shade in the general color, which is sometimes ochraceous. 

 Palpi, head and thorax, above, blackish-brown ; a narrow, white line 

 margining the eyes on the "front;" abdomen, paler than thorax, con- 

 colorous with posterior wings, the segments are obsoletely margined 

 posteriorly with paler scales. Beneath, the palpi, legs and under tho- 

 racic surface, are obscure or dirty whitish, the femora, inwardly, are 

 darker shaded ; abdomen, obscure whitish, with a rather broad, dis- 

 tinct, central, brownish ventral stripe, and, laterally, one on each side, 

 narrower and impromiuent. 



Anterior wings, uniformly blackish-brown, concolorous, or nearly so, 

 with the thoracic parts above. All the markings are obsolete, except 

 the usual transverse posterior or post-median line, which is prominently 

 angulated, being greatly produced outwardly, centrally, and which 

 consists of a faint blackish line, connecting a series of white, irregular 

 and variable white marks and spots, which latter are partly cuneiform 

 and lunate as to their shape, discontinued at the sub-median nervure, 

 (above which usually the largest is placed), and, as a whole, become, 

 especially in the darker specimens, more or less obsolete and wanting. 

 A similarly constituted discal dot, more or less distinct, and often ob- 

 solete. Posterior wings, nearly uniform brownish cinereous, with 

 faint traces of a median, interrupted and irregular darker line. Fringes, 

 on both pair, paler than the ground-color of the wings, very glossy and 

 rather long. Under surface of both wings, glossy, obscure brownish 

 cinereous, slightly iridescent; the posterior wings are palest, and both 

 pair without defined markings, except in so far as the ornamentation 

 uf the upper surface is feebly reflected. 



