770 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxv. 



had been either bred or belonged to some specially interesting group 

 or were so comnionl}" received for determination as to make a name 

 for them desirable. 



If my purpose had been to describe new species, four times as many 

 could as easily have been found in the material at my disposal, but it 

 was believed that the ultimate benefit to science would be better served 

 by leaving these many species unnamed until they have been bred or 

 at least had been obtained in larger and more well-preserved series 

 than we have at present. 



Of the 43 genera included in the famil}^ Gelechiida? in Riley's list, 21 

 have been removed to other families and 8 more have been found to 

 be synonyms of other genera; while, on the other hand, one genus has 

 been recovered from another family in Riley's list, 5 old genera of 

 American authors have been resurrected, f) genera from other faunas 

 have been identified in America, and 6 new genera have been added, of 

 which 3 are described in the present paper, thus making 35 genera 

 now recognized as North American. 



In Riley's list the genus Gelechla contained the large number of 213 

 species, not counting most of Walker's species and some others which 

 were omitted. The number has now been reduced to less than 100, and 

 of these 54 remain in the genus only because they are unrecognized, and 

 they are therefore liable to be removed to some other genera when 

 identified. These unrecognized species are the great drawback to 

 work in this group. The 13^308 and all authentic material of most of 

 them are lost, and the descriptions furnish no clew to their proper 

 genera, rendering recognition very difficult and uncertain. Still 

 several of them may be rediscovered, especially l)y diligent search in 

 Chambers' old collecting grounds in Kentucky, from where, practi- 

 cally, no material has been received since his death. ^ 



The collections of the British Museum remain to be studied; there 

 should be found the types of Walker's unrecognized species, as well as 

 some of Clemens', which he sent to Stainton forty years ago. 



The family Gelechiidaj as defined by Meyrick and as used in this 

 paper comprises moths with the following characters: Head smooth 

 or at most slightly rufiied. Antenna3 simple or slightly serrate, rarely 

 ciliate, in a single American genus with pecten on the basal joint. 

 Labial palpi long, curved, tiscending; terminal joint usually- acutely 

 pointed. Maxillary palpi obsolete or very small, appressed. Posterior \ 

 tibiai more or less rough haired above. 



Forewings normally with 12 veins, sometimes with only 11 or 10 by 

 coincidence of veins; 7 and 8 normally stalked, sometimes coincident; 



' The writer has, since this was written, been so fortunate to have a short but stren- 

 uous collecting period in this locality, securing much valuable material of Tineina, 

 among which, however, were strangely few (Telechiidfe. It is hoped that in the future 

 the active cooperation of local entomologists may be counted on. • 



