have been imported, either purposely or accidentally. The question is 

 now, whether cesculi breeds with us, as for instance the Asiatic PhUosamia 

 cynthia does. Whichever way this question is answered 1 am disposed 

 to believe that its occurrence in North America originally will be found 

 to be due to a comparatively recent importation. 



Editor of Entomologica Americana. 



Dear Sir : — After a knowledge of Mr. Grote's criticisms of my lo- 

 cation of my genus Cera/hosia, in Ento. Am., and afterwards in the Can. 

 Ento. , I sent a specimen of the species to Mr. H. B. Moeschler, the well- 

 known European Lepidopterist, requesting him to give me, for publica- 

 tion, his opmion of the family location of the genus. Mr. Moeschler 

 wriies me under date Sept. 28th, — "To-day I received the parcel con- 

 taining the two moths. I have examined them and, there is no doubt, 

 you are right ; this species belongs to the ArctiidtB, as llie costal nervule 

 is not derived from the base of the hind wings, but from the discoidal 

 cell; this characteristic separating the Arctiidce -Awdi. Lithosiidce from the 

 Noctuidce, which have this nervule derived from the base of the wing, only 

 a little connected wuh the fore edge of the cell. I do not doubt this 

 species is an Arctiid nearly allied to Deiopeia and Emydia." 



Under date Sept. 3cth, Mr. Moeschler again wrote me: — "I re- 

 ceived Ento. Americana, No. 6, to-day, and it was with great interest I 

 read yours and Mr. Grote's paper on Cerathosia tricolor, Sin. If Mr. Grote 

 had looked into ' Lederer's Noctuinen Europa's,' he could read, page 2, 

 'sie {d^\Q. Noctidnen) unterscheiden sich von den Liihosiden (\\\c\. No/a, 

 Sarro/hn'fa und Ayc/eoli,) und Arc/iiden durcti die bei diesen aus der 

 Mitte oder Ys des Vorderrandes der Mittelzelle entspringenden Rippe 8 

 der Hinterfliigel.' Mr. Grote would have spared much effort to prove 

 something not existing, by reasons which are not of any value, if lie had 

 remembered the only important characteristic separating the Li/hosiidcB 

 and ArctiidiF from the Kociiiidce. 1 am much surprised that so distingu sii- 

 ed a writer as Mr. Grote, could omit so important a characteristic, but — 

 the systematic position of the genera of the so-called Zyganidce in h:s 

 New Check List, is sufficient to prove, that Mr. Grote's >ystematic views 

 are sometimes more than singular 1"— Seeing the specimens of C. tricolor, 

 my first thought was, that it is a genus very closely allied to Deiof)eia 

 (Utetheisa) and Emydia, and I shciuld have bten much surprised if an 

 exact examination had given another result." 



So far as I am concerned, this closes the matter, eNce[)t for the paper 

 now in the hands of the printer, for the Proc. U. S. National Museum. 

 Washington, D. C, Oct. 18, 1S8S. John B. Smith. 



