AMERICAN LEPIDOPTERA. 237 



inwardly appears to be straight, not scolloped and defined by white spots 

 as in Henrietta." 



From this it will be seen that the difference between the two species 

 is slim, and the probabilities are that they are varieties of the same spe- 

 cies. 



9IELAPOKPHYRI4, Grt. 



Eyes naked, narrow, ovate or reniform ; head moderate, scarcely, if at 

 all, retracted ; palpi short, as usual fringed beneath ; front full, in some 

 specimens of ononis the inferior clypeal plate is very slightly produced ; 

 tongue strong ; body moderate ; vestiture hairy ; thorax and abdomen 

 untufted, the latter of the usual form ; wings moderate, with somewhat 

 produced apices ; tibiae spinose, anterior with two or three spinules at 

 extremity, not at all abbreviated. 



To this genus I refer the European species ononis, of which oregona, 

 Hy. Edw., is a synonym, Melicliptria belladonna, Hy. Edw., and M. 

 prorupta, Grt. They all agree with He/iothis in structure except as to 

 the eyes which here are reniform. It is not a compact genus, and the 

 species do not much resemble each other in ornamentation, but the struc- 

 tural resemblances are so close that I do not see how it can be again sub- 

 divided, and from the genera into which the various species have been 

 described, they differ in some respects which I consider of a generic 

 value. 



The species are separated as follows : 



Anterior tibia with three terminal spines; color of wings dark smoky brown 

 primaries with three oblique pale lines, a lighter median shade, and a vinous 

 outer margin immortua. 



Anterior tibia with two terminal spines; wings with a pale yellow median space, 

 base and outer margin reddish brown on primaries; on secondaries darker, 



prorupta. 



Wings deep black; secondaries with white median band; primaries with white 

 median space, in which are the large black reniform and orbicular, 



belladonna. 



Wings smoky, with paler median space; reniform and orbicular of primaries 

 large; secondaries with large dark discal spot, and a pale lunule in the dark 

 marginal band ononis. 



M. imiiiortiia, Grt., Buf. Bui. II. p. 75, PI. VII, fig. 37, tibia, and PL VIII, 

 fig. 49, wing. 



The type of the genus, and differing from all the others in having the 

 anterior tibiae armed at tip with three terminal spines. It is readily 

 recognized by the dark color and fine whitish oblique lines of primaries. 

 Expands i inch, 24 millim. 



Habitat. — Colorado (New York?). 



(60) 



