264 EEVISION OF MAMESTRA SMITH. 



of the male are broad, emarginate above near tip, which is truncate and 

 inwardly fringed with spines. The clasper is moderate, corneous, and 

 somewhat curved. 



Group PENSILIS. 



Kather narrow winged, ash gray species, with pointed primaries and 

 evenly oblique outer margins. They are moderately robust in build, 

 the thoracic tuftiugs are well defined, and the abdomen has dorsal and 

 lateral tuftiugs, which are most distinct in the male. The male an- 

 tenuaj have the joints somewhat marked and bristled, indicating a re- 

 lationship of the species to disUncta, with which they agree in a general 

 way in maculation and habitus. 



Two species are rather easily separable from the others by the shape 

 of the claviform, which in longiclava really begins at the base of the 

 wing, is discolorous, and reaches the t. p, line. Tiie species is bright 

 gray in color, the margins all darker, the t. a. line not. T. p. line 

 barely traceable below the costa. 



In orbiculata there is a fine longitudinal black line to the t. a. line, 

 and to this is hooked the concolorous claviform. The t. a. line is in- 

 definite, and the t. p., on the contrary, very distinct, i^ale, forming a 

 nearly right angle opposite the cell. In color it is dark fuscous gray, 

 the s. t. space darker, giving unusual prominence to the very irregular 

 s. t. line. The ordinary spots are somewhat discolorous, the orbicular 

 narrow, elongate, decumbent. 



In the other species the t. a. line is always distinct, and the clavi- 

 form often extends across the median space, but it does not have any 

 connection with the base of the wing. 



Of these anf/uina is at once separable. It lacks all reddish tint, is 

 very dark as a rule, the ordinary si)ots are large and pale, and the 

 even, strongly-incurved t. p. line is characteristic. 



Yicina and 2>ensilis are nearly alike in maculation ; indeed, I have not 

 succeeded in discovering one constant difference of that nature. Fensilis 

 is broader winged, usually paler, the male antennae are thicker, and the 

 ordinary spots are larger; but all these features are relative. 



A i>ermanent and actual difference exists in the form of the male 

 genitalia. These are of the same type in both species, but differ in de- 

 tail. The harpes are broader at base, then suddenly narrowed and 

 angulated and at tip again enlarged, lappet-like, the inner edge of the 

 tip spinulose. The clasper is short, thick, and corneous. In vicina 

 the tip is simply somewhat curved and the inferior edge is acutely pro- 

 longed and furnished with longer spines. In j^cnsilis the lappet is 

 much more ladle-shaped, the edges all rounded and the tip much more 

 curved than in vicina. The difference is at once perceived in examin- 

 ing specimens of both species. The clasper in vicina taj^ers to an 

 abrupt point, giving rise to a short beak-like inferior process at its 

 middle. In jje/m^is the clasper has the same inferior process, but in- 



