54 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



In addition to the species here mentioned, there are three unde- 

 termined specimens. One of these represents an undescribed genus, 

 but is mutilated. The other two' belong to Cyphomyia ; of these one is 

 from Austin, Texas, the only recorded instance of this genus being taken 

 within the United States. As the descriptidns of Cyphomyia are not 

 accessible to me, these species must be omitted. 



CATOCAL.^ IN DR. HOLLAND'S MOTH BOOK. 



BY G. H. FRENCH, CARBONDALE, ILL. 



Within the last few years three books have taken their place in the 

 scientitic literature of this country that should make a great advance in the 

 study of natural history in our high schools. The first was " The Butter- 

 fly Book," by Dr. W. J. Holland; the second, "The Insect Book," by Dr. 

 L. O. Howard, and the third, recently out, "The Moth Book," by the 

 author of the first. The cheapness of these three volumes places them 

 within the means of any high school that makes any pretense to having a 

 reference library, while the excellent plates, photographed from the speci- 

 mens, make them of great value to the young who desire means for identi- 

 fying their captives. 



Without taking further space to speak of the general merits of "The 

 Moth Book," I wish to point out a few errors in the names of the plates of 

 Catocalje. Plate 31, figure 14, is given as C. obsatra, Strecker. Tiiis 

 is evidently C. residtm, Grote. The fringes of the hind wings of C 

 obsaira are white, or white with only the fringe at the ends of the veins 

 black. In C. residua there is only a very little white at the apex of the 

 hind wings, as in this figure. 



Plate 35, figure 13, is given as C. Siretchii, Behr. This is probably 

 C. Mariana,, Hy. Edw. I have bred C. Stretchii from eggs, and find the 

 fore wings quite variable wilhin certain bounds, but in none of them is 

 there the colouring of C. Mariana. The hind wings have two character- 

 istic marks ; the median band very narrow and terminating in a distinct 

 hook, and a patch of red at the apex outside the black band, but inside 

 the white fringe. Below the apex there are smaller red patches between 

 the black veins. The fringes are white except where the black of the 

 veins extends into the fringe. 



I am glad to see C. aviasia, A.-S., as figure i, plate 35. I would 

 have furnished Dr. Holland with a specimen of its companion, C. Cordelia, 

 Hy. Edw., having the same range of locality, if I iiad known he desired it. 



