144 Cincinnati Society of jSfatnral History. 



one specimen, which must have happened to be a Pronuha; manj- of 

 the specimens showed the unmistakable palpi of the female P. 

 yuccasella. M}"^ specimens were not all examined however with equal 

 care, and it is possible that a more careful examination of every one of 

 the numerous specimens might have shown that there were some speci- 

 mens of a Hyponomeuta among them. I did, however, make a careful 

 examination of many specimens, because as soon as I saw the spotted 

 form it occurred to me just as it did to Mr. Riley, can it be a Hypo- 

 nomeuta? I will not deny the, possibility that I may have been too easily 

 convinced that it was not; and, as already stated, the point can only 

 be settled by observation, not by argument. What, then, it may be 

 asked, is the force of the facts above referred to in italics ? I do not 

 pretend that the}' are conclusive of the question, especially when op- 

 posed to the positive statements of so competent an observer as Prof. 

 Riley. Nevertheless, those facts, and many others j^et to be mentioned, 

 do have a bearing on the question, and their bearing will be readily ad- 

 mitted b}^ all who are familiar with the habits of the Tineina, and the 

 extent to which unity of habit obtains among species of man}' genera, 

 Hyponomeuta among them. Calling attention, therefore, to the 

 sentences above, in italics, I will add that my collection was made in 

 that neighborhood during the Spring and Summer, during which time 

 the greater part of each day was spent in collecting; that at the place 

 where these species were taken, there was no vegetation other than 

 cacti, grass and yucca. From three to five miles distant, on the moun- 

 tains^ were willows, poplars, oaks, and pines. This wooded region was 

 ni}' daily collecting ground, but occasionally I wandered out on to the 

 plains. In this wooded region I took many other species, among them 

 Anesychia mirusella., Cham., and Harpalyce (Cham. nee. Streph.) tor- 

 tricella, species allied to Hyponomeuta, but never a specimen of Pro- 

 nuba yuccasella., nor of the spiecies referred by me to that species, 

 and by Mr. Biley to Hyponomeuta Spunctella, Cham. This is not sur- 

 prising as to P. yuccasella^ because this was not the locality in which it 

 might be expected to occur; but it is surprising if Mr. Riley is right 

 in refering them to Hyponomeuta, because it was just the locality 

 where one might exjoect to find Hyjyonqmeuta.* But, on the other hand, 

 out on the plains, three to five miles awa}' from the wooded region, 

 where there was no vegetation but grass, cacti, and yucca, in the 

 flowers of yucca, in company with P. yuccasella, and bearing a resem- 

 blance so close to it as to require great care and discrimination to dis- 

 tinguish them, are found the specimens which Mr. Rile}' refers to Hy- 

 ponomeuta 5pu,nctella. There is nothing surprising in finding P. yuc- 



■' And where in fact other species oi hyponomeuta were found. 



