311 



Key to the Species 



1. Frontal tuft as long as eye or longer, conical 2 



Frontal tuft usually distinctly shorter and more blunt. Doubtful speci- 

 mens may be placed by presence of dark triangle on primaries before 

 cleft 4 



2. Tuft longer than palpi albcrtae 



Tuft not longer than palpi. Faint dark scale tuft in fringes of inner 

 margin of third feather, or scattered dark scales .3 



3. Scale tooth near middle of feather; no other dark scales present 



pallidactyla 



Scale tooth near end of feather; sometimes not evident Carolina 



4. Palpi short, slightly exceeding front. Third feather with a weak scale 



tuft near middle tesseradactyla 



Palpi distinctly exceeding front or species otherwise different 5 



5 Third feather of secondaries with a well marked tuft of dark scales in 

 fringes of inner margin, usually with scattered black scales preceding it C 

 This tuft entirely absent or faint, and of very slender scales, rarely pre- 

 ceded by other dark scales 16 



6. Scale tuft at middle of margin 7 



Scale tuft beyond middle (in some cases scarcely beyond, beginning at 

 middle) 9 



7. Color more or less tawny. Second joint of hind tarsi scarcely dark 



tipped. Wings usually warm brown 8 



Color gray-brown. Second joint of hind tarsi as deeply dark tipped as 

 those following zvilHamsii 



8. Scale tuft strong, triangular, sometimes prolonged carduidactyla 



Scale tuft weaker, scarcely triangular, sometimes very faint or even 

 absent pcrcnodactyla 



9. Scale tuft within distal third of feather 10 



Scalt tuft farther from end of feather 13 



10. Brown, conspicuously marked with white. Third feather of secondaries 



chiefly white except opposite scale tooth rhododactyla 



Not such species 11 



11. Abdomen evenly colored or with faint parallel stripes; a variable num- 

 ber of segments with single dorsal dots on hind margins. A small 



species crcniilata 



Abdomen with oblique stripes and rough vestiture 12 



12. Size usually large, 19-31 mm. Grayish with conspicuous dark markings. 



Scales in tuft of about equal length throughout cdwardsii 



Size moderate, 20 mm. Dark gray with the markings scarcely darker. 

 Scales in tuft becoming more or less perceptibly shorter outward, tuft 

 therefore slightly triangular auriga 



13. First lobe of primaries beyond base of cleft with a triangular pale 

 brown spot resting on cleft with apex on costa. Scale tuft about two- 

 thirds from base marmarodactyla 



Triangle vague or absent. Tuft just beyond middle 14 



