234 REVISION OF MAMEiiTRi* —SMITH. 



A very well marked species, distinguished by large size, rather rough 

 vestiture, promiueuL discolorousreuiforra, the blue patch near hiudaugle, 

 and the rather prominent abdominal tuftiugs. It is not uncommon. 



Mr. Grote, in 18S1 or 1882, examined the type of Acronycta crisiifera 

 in the British Museum, and says. of it (111. Essay, 38) : "The type from 

 Hudson's Bay is not an Acronycta. The abdomen is tulted ; the species 

 is dark stone-gray, with kidney-shaped reuiform, and seems a Hadenoid 

 form unknown to me." 



Mr. Butler, in 1889, comparing the material in the Grote and Walker 

 collections, refers liibens to cristifsra without comment. The species is 

 so strongly marked that error on Mr. Butler's part seems out of the 

 question ; but it seems almost equally improbable that Mr. Grote should 

 not have recognized the species, which must be one ot the most familiar 

 to him. I have followed Mr. Butler, who has actually compared th'e 

 species. 



The harpes of the male are long, narrowing toward middle and widen- 

 ing toward tip, where it is obliquely drawn out above and truncate. 

 Inwardly the tip is rather densely spinulated. The clasper is a single 

 rather short, curved, corneous hook. 



Mamestra assimilis Morr. 



1874. Morr., Buff. Bull., ii, 119; Mamestra. 

 1881. Goodell, Papilio, i, 1.^; larva. 



r. pnlverulenta Smith. 

 1887. Smith, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., x, 463; Mamestra. 



Glossy black. Transverse lines faintly marked, single. T. a. upright, 

 slightly sinuate. T. p. nearly parallel with outer margin, indistinctly 

 crenulate. S. t. line white, punctiform, the pale points marked with 

 more intensely black shades; a prominent white blotch at hind angle. 

 Ordinary spots outlined in velvety deep black, concolorous, normal in 

 size and form. Claviform variable in size, black lined, concolorous. 

 Secondaries smoky or blackish fuscous, paler toward base. Beneath, 

 powdery, with crimson or carmine scales, and with an outer dark line. 

 Head and thorax concolorous with primaries. 



Expands 33-38™'" (1.32 to 1.52 inches). 



Habitat. — Canada, Maine, Northern Xew York, Northern and East- 

 ern States. 



Four specimens are in the Museum collection: Kittery Point, Maine, 

 July 17 and 18 (O. V. R., J. B. S.) ; Orono, Maine ; Adirondack Moun- 

 tains, New York (J. B. S.). 



A very easily recognizable species, similar to nothing else in the 

 genus. The variety pulverulenia at first seems quite ditierent, being 

 dark, powdery gray, with moderately distinct markings. The white 

 patch is distinct, but seems less prominent because there is less con- 

 trast. Beneath, there is a lack of the crimson scales. The identity of 

 this form with assimilis was not suspected until an examination of the 



