8 PLATYPT1LU8. 



somewhat paler than those which I have seen 

 from the Eastern States, and seem to be almost 

 undistinguishable from the European P. zetferstedtii, 

 Zeller (Isis, 1841, p. 777). Prof Zeller (Verh. 

 z.-b. Ges. Wien, 1873, pp. 119, 120) carefully com- 

 pares the two species. He relies, amongst other 

 points, upon the extent of the brown colour upon 

 the hind legs between the two pairs of spurs, as 

 pointing to a sure specific diiFerence (" An der 

 Hinterschienenspitze nimmt bei diesem Texaner Ex- 

 emplar die braune Farbe wenigcr als den halben 

 Raum zwischen den zwei Sporenpaaren ein, bei 

 cardui f "). 



I observe that in my Californian examples the 

 brown colour occupies fully one half of the space 

 between the two pairs of spurs. The habits of the 

 two species in their larval stages are undoubtedly 

 very distinct, the European zetterstedtii feeding singly 

 in stems of Senecio nemorensis, the American cardui 

 being gregarious on heads of thistles (Cirshnn lan- 

 ceolatum). 



Platyptilus percnodactylus, sp. nov. 



(Plate I. Fig. 7.) 



Capite, paljjis et alls anticis dilute hrunneis, lituris 

 aj)icd Jissuram et marginem dorsalerriy et lineola 

 suhapicali iiallidio7ihu!<, macula triangulari cos- 



