NO. 1304. REVISION OF AMERICAN GELECmiD MOTHS— EVSCK. 769 



served collection of about 800 unnamed American Gelecliiidaj with the 

 most liberal permission to retain desired specimens. 



Smaller collections, on similar liberal conditions, have been received 

 from Mr. Nathan Banks and through Dr. Harrison G. Dyar from Dr. 

 \Y. Barnes and Prof. C. P. Gillette. 



llev. Dr. Fyles has kindly sent me certain specimens and informa- 

 tion. 



Finall}^ and principally, there was the collection in the U. S. National 

 Museum, which contains many types of Rile}^ Murtfeldt, Walsing- 

 ham. Chambers, and Zeller, besides a great many specimens deter- 

 mined b}' Lord Walsingham and Mr. William Beutenmiiller, together 

 with a considerable number of bred or collected miscellaneous 

 specimens, including the collections of Dr. H. G. Dyar, in Florida, 

 Colorado, and elsewhere; of Mr. E. A. Schwarz, in Texas, Arizona, 

 and Colorado; of Prof. T. D. A. Cockerell, in New Mexico; of Messrs. 

 Coquillett and Koebele, in California; and fine series of many species, 

 with notes, bred during many years in the insectary of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, largely by Mr. Th. Pergande. 

 The Museum also contains Dr. Ottmar Hofmann's large collection of 

 excellently mounted specimens of European species, authentically 

 determined, which naturally has proved of very valuable assistance. 



Mr. Coquillett has kindly given me his private notes on some of his 

 bred specimens. These are credited under the species. 



To Dr. Harrison G. Dyar I owe much gratitude for the continued 

 interest and encouragement given me during my studies, as well as 

 for actual help, and last, but not least, for aid in reading and correct- 

 ing this manuscript and proofs. 



The purpose of the present paper is not to present an exhaustive 

 monographical treatise on American Gelechiidse. The group is not 

 well enough known as yet for such treatment. It is rather a revision 

 of what has already been done, so that future work may proceed on a 

 sounder foundation. 



The genus Gelechia has been for former workers much as Chambers 

 expressed it, ''a waste box, a convenient receptacle for every species 

 which could not be better disposed of." ^ 



Such new genera as were erected from this miscellaneous aggrega- 

 tion, especially those separated by Chambers, were most frequently 

 given insufficient characterization. To study these genera critically, 

 to substantiate and define more fully those which were found tenable, 

 and to eliminate those erected on superficial characters, and then to 

 place as far as possible the described species where they belong has 

 been the principal object of the writer. 



For this reason I have described only about 60 new species, such as 



^Can. Ent., IX, p. 231, 

 Proc. N. M. vol. XXV— 02 4D 



