160 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



any other sing'le collection. From the United States National Museum 

 ] had 100 examples, including all save type specimens. From Dr. Wil- 

 liam Barnes, of Decatur, Illinois, I had his entire material in the 

 genus, peculiarly rich in some local Western forms. From Mr. 

 W. D. Kearfott, of Montclair, New Jersey, I had a series of specimens 

 illustrating a few special forms. The collections of the American 

 Museum of Natural History were carefully compared and some unde- 

 termined material was loaned. The collection of the Brooklyn Insti- 

 tute of Arts and Sciences (Neumoegen and Graef collections) was 

 compared and specimens were loaned from it. From the collection of 

 the American Entomological Society several specimens were secured. 

 The Strecker material was carefully compared, and in addition, several 

 correspondents sent me examples that will be specitically acknowledged 

 later on. 



Within the limits of the genus proper the species range themselves 

 into a number of small or larger groups, some Avell, some ill defined, 

 and in one or two cases not altogether easily separated on other than 

 sexual characters. It might be put in a somewhat different way as a 

 number of well-marked species, some of which remained true to type, 

 others of which diverged and gave rise to forms which are not yet 

 altogether well marked. 



A somewhat well-defined series may be typified by tnupujida, in 

 which there is a sharp ridge or crest behind the collar, not very promi- 

 nent to be sure, but always recognizable in good examples. As addi- 

 tional characters we have the trigonate, pointed primaries in which 

 both the ordinary spots are at least traceal)le, and the character of the 

 male genitalia. 



The group consists of only two, very unlike species, one of which 

 is known in the female only. 



Lnthw dirt'ers from all our other species in that it has both the ordi- 

 nary spots outlined by yellowish rings, the median lines complete, and 

 the subterminal line obvious. In other words, the normal noctuid 

 maculation is complete. The only example known to me is from 

 Florida and is a female. 



Unqjuneta has the ordinary spots on the primaries paler, but not 

 ringed, so that they are obvious, but not defined. The median lines 

 are punctiform, and in some specimens both are completely traceable. 

 Usually, however, the transverse anterior line is lost in the general 

 powdery character of the wing, and sometimes the transverse posterior 

 line shares the same fate. The general color is a variable shade of 

 reddish or fawn gray or brown, sometimes with a little admixtui'e of 

 yellowish. The surface is speckled with l)lack, forming a dark oblique 

 subapical shade and a dusky shading along the median vein, at the end 

 of which is a single white dot. 



The secondary characters of the male consist of moderate fringes on 



