204 A. K. GROTE. 



differs also (except from aleucis) in ornamentation. In his work no new 

 characters are used by Mr. Smith different from those employed by me, 

 if I except the tarsal structure of Meadii, which escaped me. He has 

 apparently very thoroughly carried them out over all described species, 

 and corrected my error that Tamil a was to be distinguished by its vesti- 

 ture. 



II I I IO I II IS. Hubn. 



I suggested the identity of our species with the European, which Mr. 

 Smith adopts and is, no doubt, right in this. My type (figured by 

 Glover) of Umbroaus is the greenish, light colored, and not ochrey and 

 mixed form. I have seen no European specimens like this, and it seems 

 a well marked variety. I took several specimens in the cotton fields 

 about Atlanta, flying in the daytime. None of my Luteitinctus corres- 

 pond with the figure of Maritima, except in so far that the secondaries 

 are yellow, but they are brighter and differently marked in the American 

 examples I have examined. It seems to me a variation in the same 

 direction, but not exactly equivalent. 



Notwithstanding that two species are taken out and another added, it 

 is evident that the genus is used in the sense which I intended by Mr. 

 Smith. The same is perfectly true of Melirleptria as proposed by me 

 with its type. Mr. Henry Edwards is the first to doubt the validity of 

 my genus Adonisea, which I unwillingly merge into Melideptvia. 



I had hoped that Mr. Smith would have known Mr. Strecker's spe- 

 cies, but he knows fewer than I do and adopts all the synonyms of that 

 author which I had detected. In so far Mr. Smith's paper is prema- 

 ture. 



As I have shown, the Stiriinae are characterized by a short, subquad- 

 rate thorax, the patagiae often relieved or deflected, usually untufted, 

 the abdomen closely scaled, weak, tapering suddenly to anus. The palpi 

 are distinguished by being weak, of unequal length, the third joint not 

 long or distinct and pointed as in the Plusiinae. In the usually clawed 

 fore tibiae they approach the Heliothinae, in the shape of wing they are 

 in a measure intermediate between the Calpinae and Plusiinae. I have 

 not found any characters which divide the group I call Eustrotiinae, 

 composed of genera clustering about Tarache and Eustrotia. I cannot 

 call this latter genus Erastia, because this latter term is used first by 

 Hiibner for a genus of Geometridae. The Stiriinae frequent flowers, 

 and the extruded ovipositor of some genera makes it probable that some 

 inhabit stems or fruit in the larval state. The metallic wings ally them 

 to Plusia. None of my subfamily groups have exclusive characters. I 



