122 THE KNTOMOT,OfiIST S KECOnn. 



In the first, the transverse Hnes Itecome distinct, blackish, crossing the 

 clearer wing after the fashion of Bomhycia, or again suffused ; in the 

 second, the wing is unbroken by lines, mixed gi-ay and pinkish. I 

 once took a specimen to pieces and compared its structure minutely with 

 that of derasa ; the two are very closely allied, and I insist that the 

 genera be not separated by the interpolation of the American forms 

 resembling Thyatyra batis. I took, from first to last, a fine series of the 

 False Coronet, which came more plentifully to my bait than scripta and, 

 for those who may doubt my story, behold the specimens may l)e seen 

 in the Britisli Museum unto tliis day. My success so far allowed me 

 to hope for our American Peacli lUossom, IluthyaUra pudem, but I was 

 not to be so fortunate as my All)any friends, Messrs. Chatfield and 

 Hill. As to Bomhycia (= Cyniatophora, Auct.), we have no certain Eastern 

 species so far. The only two I have seen are semicircnlaris, Grt. and 

 improvisa, Hy.-Ed., both from the far West. 



But now the season had set in, and Pan was constantly propitious. 

 DipJithera, Apatela, Microcoelia, Agrotis, Mamedra, Xylena, Helioscota, 

 Gortyna, Ochria and HeliophiJa came singly or in troops in increasing 

 quantities. I soon diminished the number of my trees and became chary 

 in my takes. In June, XylenaJiynicoJor and its variety quacsita, became 

 especially abundant, but were excelled by the fiWAvmsoi Xylena arctica, 

 which was a decided nuisance. These Xylenas had no self-respect. They 

 appeared in unpresentable condition. With wings torn and thoracic vesti- 

 ture gone, they buzzed about, knocking better-dressed company from the 

 table to the discomfiture of the host. And then a lot of small fry 

 claimed a place— 2?"s/ro</a, Tarache, and a goodly number of Deltoids. 

 For the latter I have had a weakness. Our American genera show 

 very curious modifications of structure, in wings, antennae and feet. 

 The species of Epizeuxis, especially aemida, were very common, also 

 PseudagJossa and Zanclognatha. One night I caught a specimen of the 

 latter genus, which I felt sure, as it sat on the tree, was a new species. 

 But it afterwards turned out to be an extraordinary variety of Z. 

 laevigata, in which the middle field was quite yellow. The example is 

 now in the British Museum. I have given the constant characters by 

 which laevii/ata may always be recognised, notwithstanding its great 

 rano-e of variation. Alas, what has become of all my Deltoids I The 

 genera mostly alone remain, like masts above the surface of the ocean, 

 to tell where the species have gone down before tlie miserable descrip- 

 tions of the miserable " types " in the British Museum. Species which 

 I named with affectionate care are now to be called by such names as 

 cacmninah's and danmosalis. I would extend the commination. Yes, 

 davinosali.^, and somebody else say I ! Here are two quotations from the 

 latest work on the British Museum " types":— " Mr. Grote refers absorp- 

 t(dis to Epizeuxis aemida, and at first sight this appears correct, from the 

 rubbed condition of tlie specimen ; but more careful comparisons show 

 that the species named by Mr. Grote, nithilifasn'a, is represented. The 

 present species is fairly to be considered the type of Horniisa, and 

 must replace Litognatha, which has the same type." In the first place, 

 according to the rules of zoological nomenclature, my genus must be re- 

 tained, since it would be a proper restriction of Walker's species of 

 " Hornma,'' although " fairly " considered the type by an i;nfair writer. 

 In the second place, nnbilifascia cannot be recognised from the description 

 of ahsorptalis, and the recognition of a name depends upon literature, not 



