159 



described by me, I am never given the benefit of the doubt. I 

 understand, though I have seen nothing in print, that Mr. Hulst 

 has had "Hght" in some of these cases. What will be always 

 amazing is the courage which enabled Mr. Hulst to write as he 

 did while he was so much in the dark. 



Catocala Chelidonia. n. s. 

 S ? . This species is allied to Formula by the straightness of 

 the t. p. lines on the fore wings. It differs by the course of the 

 lines in detail, by the large size and different color of the pri- 

 maries. Fore wings even dark fuscuous gray, somewhat hoary, 

 the lines not very distinct. Reniform shaded with gray ; sub- 

 reniform independent, stained with brown. The sub-costal teeth 

 of the t. p. line more prominent than in Formula. The line is 

 regularly waved and runs nearly straight to internal margin below 

 the two prominent discal teeth. Hind wings dark yellow. Ex- 

 terior band interrupted. Median band rather narrow, swollen on 

 disc, angulated opposite the interruption of marginal band, not 

 reaching internal margin. Some dusky hairs at base. Beneath, 

 with wide blackish borders, the centre of wings dark yellow ; 

 band of hind wings repeated. Numerous specimens of this very 

 distinct form in the collection before me. Expanse, ? 45, 6 47 

 mil. 



Catocala similis. Wm. H. Edwards. 



I have originally referred this as a variety of Gracilis, on the 

 strength of specimens, named by Mr. Edwards, in his own and 

 in Mrs. Bridgham's collection. But I have seen since a specimen 

 of Forvmla, labelled by Mr. Edwards as Similis, in Mr. Saunders' 

 collection. I am now confident, from a quite recent re-examina- 

 tion of the original description, that it fits Formula better than 

 any form of Gracilis. It may be that Mr. Edwards has con- 

 founded the species subsequently, if not at the time of descrip- 

 tion. But, in any event, I restore to Similis its undoubted right. 

 The species must be known as Similis, with Formula as a synonym. 

 I have identified now all the species described by Mr. Edwards 

 in Proc. Ent. Soc, Phil., 2,508. 'Ihey are all valid except Par- 

 vula, which is a suffused form of Minuta. Gracilis also has a 

 suffused variety, both in the typical form and in the very distinct 

 darker and hoary variety which I have called Sordida. My iden- 

 tifications of the Eastern species of Catocala, including Grynca, 

 have been generally accepted ; and, with all the new species 

 recently described, those described by Guenee, which I could not 

 make out, in 1872, remain still unidentified. 



The publication of a paper on the species of Catocala, by a 

 clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Geo. D. Hulst, in the Bulletin of the 

 Brooklyn Entomological Society, obliges me to notice its con- 

 tents briefly. The criticism that I make on this paper is, that its 

 publication was entirely unnecessary from a scientific point of 

 view. This may be substantiated by the fact that every change 



