1 58 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. Ill, 



the gradations from the deep red brown to the yellowish brown 

 type, and the sj)ecies as a whole seems quite recognizable and. 

 except for this xariation in ground. \ery constant. 



Mamcstra circumcincta Smith, was described from two Cali- 

 foiTiian examples representing the two sexes, which I placed with 

 stricta on genitalic characters, while comi)aring it with olivacca 

 in fascies. Theo"' type is in my collection, and another d"' exam- 

 ple recently received from San Francisco, California, makes re- 

 examination jjossible, as well as a new figure of the d" genitalia 

 a\-ailable. Hampson in his Vol. V, p. 176. makes this a synonym 

 of stricta; but in my opinion quite without warrant. The total 

 habitus and ground color are different, while the dift'erences 

 ]')ointed out in my original description are intensified in the fresh 

 exam]:)le which is darker and more smoky throughout. Neither 

 exam])le has in the secondaries any of that yellowish tinge that 

 is in all specimens of stricta ever seen by me. As for the genitrdia, 

 I can claim very little for circumcincta as against stricta. The 

 two are veiy much alike, and such differences as exist might 

 easily be within range of variation. A comparison of figures 

 8 and <; will make this clear. 



Mamcstra tenisca, recently described by me in the Proc. X. Y. 

 Ent. Soc, is an intensified and enlarged stricta, and I have little 

 doubt is mixed with the older species in collections; but I believe 

 it to be well distinguished and take this opportunity to offer a 

 figure of the male genitalia which, while preser\-ing their close 

 resemblance to those of stricta, de]jart noticeably from the t\i)e. 

 Especial attention is directed on this point to the curved series 

 of spinules on the ]:)enis sheath, as comj^ared with those in 

 stricta and circumcincta. 



Explanation of Figures on Plate XXIIl. 



Fig. 1. Mamestra laudabilis, from X. \ ., Ga., and Fla. specimens. 



Fig. 2. Mamcstra illaudabilis, from Ariz, and Denver, Colo., specimens. 



Fig. 3. Mamestra illaudabilis, from Arizona, desert specimens. 



Fig. 4. Mamestra illaudabilis, from Utah specimen. 



Fig. 5. Mamestra restora: from type c?. 



Fig. 6. Mamestra inaritinitincta: Texas example. 



Fig. 7. Mamcstra sjjiculosa: Arizona. 



Fig. 8. Mamestra stricta. 



Fig. 9. Mamestra circumcincta. 



Fig. 10. Mamestra tenisca: from one of the i)ara-typcs. 



