i66 



more dusky brown. There is an angulate inner black line^ 

 not reaching the costal margin, and followed by a finer line. 

 Then there is a thick, black, extra-mesial line also expiring much 

 before the costal edge. There is a fine denticulate sub-terminal 

 line edged with pale or whitish and followed by a reddish shade. 

 A black, terminal, continuous line before the fringes. The body 

 is light brown, with a dusky edge to the collar. Beneath the 

 markings are effaced, the lines feebly marked. 



There are now four species of this genus from our territory, 

 described by myself. Tactiis and Discalis I have collected in New 

 York State. The latter is larger than Tactus and has a reddish 

 discal stain on secondaries. Rcpcntis, the new species, is from 

 Arizona, and Tantillus, the smallest and darkest form, has been 

 collected in Texas by Mr. Belfrage. 



The genus is evidently lower than Homoptera, and prepares 

 us for the Deltoids. The further south we go, the more do we 

 find the forms increase in abundance which belong to the Fasci- 

 atcB. Their resemblance to the GcoinetridcB, is shown by the sim- 

 ilarity in the ornamentation of the upper surfaces of the wings. In 

 the typical Noctuidcs, the secondaries are unhanded, as a rule,^ 

 and their upper surfaces resemble the under surface of the prim- 

 aries, in their want of markings and more faded tone. In my ar- 

 rangement of the genera of the Fasciatce, I have been guided by 

 the tendency towards a similarity of marking on the upper sur- 

 face of the wings, and also in the shape of the primaries. These 

 become more unlike the typical NoctiiidcB, and, in their different 

 proportion and sharpness of apices, also affect the Geometridce. 

 The Deltoids in their neuration are Noctuidcs, in the ornamenta- 

 tion and length of palpi, frequently also in their glistening sur- 

 faces, they are like the Pyralidce. That they are an aberrant 

 group seems to follow from the diversity of structure which they 

 show. The feet have an unusual structure in some genera, in 

 others the antennae. Some of the lower genera of the FasciatcB 

 (e. g. Sylectrd) resemble them in this. Miraiidalis has very curi- 

 ous antennae. I recorded the fact that I took a specimen of this 

 curious moth at the Battery, in this city, about twenty years ago. 

 It may have been brought in a vessel. The migration of the 

 moths up the Atlantic coast has not been sufficiently studied. As 

 a rule, there is a seasonal migration from the south, northwardly. 



Megachyta Subflavidalis. n. s. 



? . Resembles Litiiralis, in the presence of the two black 

 costal spots which inaugurate the median lines, but the inner hne 

 is outwardly oblique and even. The lines themselves, below the 

 large costal spots, are faint, ochrey. The wings are pale gray^ 

 shaded with ochrey terminally. The outer line is thick, sinuate. 

 Reniform an upright ringlet. S. t. line dotted, undulate. Sec- 

 ondaries stained with ochrey, the inner line wanting. S. t. line 

 denticulate. A terminal dotted line on both wings ; fringes con- 



