160 JOHN B. SMITH, 



The early stages of this species have been recently described by 

 Mr. Edwards in " Ent. Amer." vol. iii. 



D. luelaiieliolica Grt., Pr. E. S. Phil. v. 77, pi. 2, fig. 4, Erlmiyis ; G. & R., 

 1. c. 168, Erinnyis; Bd., Sp. Gen. Het. i, 130, Aneeryx ; Butl., Tr. Zool. Soc. 

 Lond. ix, 603 = % cenotrns ; Gnudlach, Cout. Eut. Cuba, 220 = obscura ; 

 Grt., New List, Dilophonota. 



"Anterior wings dark cinereous in the female, much shaded with blackish 

 brown in the male, traversed by many cotifused, inconspicuous lines. No paler 

 patches at apex, and on internal margin, are perceptible, while the transverse 

 lines are more distinct terminally, and especially before internal angle, where 

 they are margined with pale cinereous, showing the ordinary ornamentatiou of 

 the genus in this respect; external margin denticulate. Posterior wings red- 

 dish ferruginous, with rather narrow blackish borders, the nervules within 

 touched with blackish dots much as in the preceding species [merianse] ; external 

 margin more excavate before anal angle than in E. meriame, much as in E. 

 oenotrus, which E. melancholica more nearly approaches. Under surface brown- 

 ish, with ferruginous scales on the disc of the anterior pair; posterior wings 

 whitish at base, below central region, along internal margin, reddish over the 

 discal region. The under surface very generally resembles that of the preceding 

 species (supra), while the transverse, median and subterminal dark shade bands, 

 crossing both pair of wings, are most distinct in E. oenotrus, in which the median, 

 on anterior pair, is more appreciably sinuate. In E. melancholica the inner (me- 

 dian) bands are less distinct, becoming macular, especially in the female. In 



E. merianie the inner bauds are obsolete and generally imperceptible. Thorax 

 bi-crested; head and thoracic region above brownish black in the male, in the 

 female cinereous black, paler laterally in both sexes. The segments are fringed 

 with mixed paler and darker hairs, and two dorsal longitudinal shade lines are 

 very distinct. Underneath the abdomen is paler than in either E. merianie or 

 E. oenotrus. Expands '^ 3, 9 3.10 inches; 75 — 78 mm." 



Hab. — Texas, Florida (?), Cuba, Central and South America. 



" This species is very confusedly marked and difficult to describe, 

 except by comparison with its allies, E. vieriance and E. oenotrus. 

 With the latter it has a similarity of abdominal coloration and orna- 

 mentation, while the generally paler primaries, the absence of the 

 characteristic paler patches and differing ornamentation of the teg- 

 ulte will separate it from either of its above mentioned allies." 



Mr. Grote had both sexes before him, or what he supposed were 

 such. Later he describes what he here calls the 9 as Erinnyis 

 cinerosa. Mr. Butler refers them in that way, i. e. S and 9 to D. 

 ocnotnis. Dr. Gundlach, on the contrary, does not seem to agree in 

 this synonymy, and makes melancholica a synonym of D. ob><cura, 

 which is manifestly an error, unless Dr. Gundlach has in mind an 

 entirely different insect as obscura from that so named by American 

 enton;oloo:ists. 



