f 



118 Journal New York Entomological Society. t Vo1 - xxvn. 



paring data and illustrations for a new and more complete mono- 

 graph. It has been, and still is, my hope to publish a complete set of 

 figures in color, of all the species indigenous to Boreal North 

 America. 



That this work might be complete I obtained through the courtesy 

 of Sir George Hampson, and with the assistance of his artist, color 

 drawings of the thirty-six types in the British Museum collection. 

 Since then I have had similar color drawings made for me by Mrs. 

 Beutenmuller, of all species in my own collection, and of several 

 types to be found in museum collections, and at present I have figures 

 of nearly every North American species ; indeed we have two or even 

 three figures of several species which vary considerably. 



Recently I have obtained estimates for the reproduction of those 

 extremely interesting and accurate drawings, by the four color 

 process, but the prices asked at this time are prohibitive, and conse- 

 quently I must forego, at least for the present, the satisfaction of 

 publishing in color. 



During the past five years however I have had the kindly assist- 

 ance of several ardent collectors, who have obtained for me several 

 new species or forms, and have courteously granted me the privilege 

 of retaining primary types. To these gentlemen I have returned 

 paratype specimens and it is to authenticate these names, already 

 distributed in various collections, that I have concluded to publish 

 at this time, at least enough in the way of descriptions to satisfy the 

 rules. To this end I present herewith a half-tone plate, made from 

 Mrs. Beutenmuller's colored drawings, and will now append suffi- 

 cient descriptions so that, together with the figures, the forms may 

 be recognized. I desire to add however that it is my intention in the 

 near future to publish complete detailed, comparative descriptions of 

 all those figured herewith, as well as of others. 



A problem that has engaged much of my time and study arose 

 from the fact that Sir George Hampson in his Catalogue of the 

 British Museum (Vol. XIII) described and figured both Autographa 

 Sackcni and Autographa Snowi. He lists these as " Syngrapha" 

 and at this time I shall not discuss his generic separation of this 

 group, but, as I am considering American forms, I shall follow the 

 latest American Check List, Barnes and McDonnough. 



