AMERICAN LEPIDOPTERA. 19 



54. Catocala niessalina, Guence. 



%. — Habit of C. androphila, but a little larger. Primaries of an even vio- 

 laceous brownish grey, with all the anterior half shaded with pale grey. The 

 ordinary lines are faint, flexuous, not angulated, nearly parallel and very con- 

 tiguous inferiorly. Eeniform continuous to the t. p. line. Hind wings pale 

 ochre yellow, base a little dusky, without median band, but with a wide hind 

 border continued to both margins, and having a single sinus not far from anal 

 angle. Beneath, paler with traces of the median band. Abdomen slender, 

 acute, brown beneath. Thorax grey, with a brown collar. 



N'ot identified by me. I have translated Guenee's description on 

 page 107, Vol. 3, of the Noctuelites. This species should be recognis- 

 able from the continuous hind border of the secondaries, an exceptional 

 character of this group. 



In addition to the above enumerated fifty-four species of the genus, 

 of which seven have not been seen by me, Dr. Behr has described three 

 species from the Western District in these Transactions which remain 

 equally unknown to me. Most of the material I have used is in the 

 collection of the American Entomological Society, together with Mr. 

 Edwards' specimens kindly loaned me for examination. 



After writing so far my kind friend, Mr. Charles A. Blake, sends me 

 specimens of two black winged species of Catocala from Pennsylvania 

 which I describe here : 



2. Catocala lachrymosa, Guence. 



% .—Anterior wings dark, blackish, sparsely sprinkled with bluish cinereous, 

 shaded with deep brownish on the sub-terminal space. Primaries alittle more 

 produced at the apices and the expanse greater compared with C. epione. T. 

 a. line broadly marked on costa, thence thrice waved to internal margin, pre- 

 ceded by a cinereous shade which becomes whitish, broad and evident on the 

 margin. T. p. line with two prominent discal teeth, a deep inflection below 

 vein 2, distinctly preceded by whitish scales on the margin. The two lines are 

 here very approximate. Sub-terminal line black, distinct, dentate, preceded 

 by cinereous scales which are also more evident on internal margin as well as 

 towards costa. Secondaries deep black, with white lringes, cut with black cen- 

 trally. Beneath, the hind wings are largely whitish at base; beyond a narrow, 

 rivulous white m. band. Thorax with black lines, similar in color to primaries. 

 Abdomen black above; body whitish beneath. Expanse 80 mm. 



This species seems in a measure intermediate between C. epione and 

 C. desperata, while more nearly resembling the latter. Guenee's de- 

 cription is, as might be expected, trenchant and accurate. All the 

 lines are very black and evident, though the two median are less broad 

 than in C. epione, in appearance more as in C. desperata. The black 

 tub-terminal is a ready character. 



