35 



altered and amended be printed in the Report of the British Associa- 

 tion and recommended for the general use of zoologists." 



The proposition, VI, reads thus: "The recommendation 'Specific 

 names to be zvritten zcit/i a small initial.'' The committee propose that 

 this recommendation should be omitted. It is not of great im])ortance, 

 and may be safely left to naturalists to deal with as they think fit." 



This sufficiently disposes of the whole matter. The ' ' tendencies' ' 

 which Professor Riley speaks of, Papilio III, 165, have nothing to do 

 with the proprieties in the case. I see there is a little bit of a "ten- 

 dency" already to print the genus names with small initials. Ten years 

 hence this foshion mav find followers. 



NOTES ON SOME SPECIES OF CATOCALA. 



Bv James Angus. 



In the Check List of Macro- Lepidoptera, published by the Brooklyn 

 Entomological Society, some changes have been made in the specific 

 character and relations of the Catoca/ce \v\\\c\\, in my humble judgment, 

 I think had better not have been made without the clearest and most 

 undoubted proof that such changes are called for. In the mysterious 

 life history of the Catocalcr in their pre-imago stages, too little is yet 

 known to warrant us in determining as facts what we know only from 

 mere inference. The future may develop facts to necessitate many, 

 even radical changes, but till then we ought to proceed with caution, 

 or the last error may be worse than the first. 



In the list referred to, An^usi and Residua are classed as varieties 

 of Insolabilis. I hope I shall be pardoned for briefly giving my rea- 

 sons for dissenting from this conclusion. It may be considered rather 

 indelicate in me to volunteer to be the advocate of the merits of a spe- 

 cies named after myself, but the name is of little moment, and would 

 not, in a scientific point of view, weigh a feather in my judgment. 



In some respects Insolabilis and Angusi are somewhat similar, but 

 in others of material importance there is little or no affinity. Insolabilis 

 is one of the most invariable and easily recognized of our black under- 

 winged species. The beautiful silvery irroration covering the bluish 

 gray ground-work of primaries, a constant and peculiar feature, is 

 lacking in Angiisi. The dark shading on the inner margin of the pri- 

 maries of the former we never find in the latter, but as Insolabilis is so 

 well known I need not speak of it further. 



There are three distinct forms of Angusi, all of which are more or 

 less incorporated in Mr. Grote's description. All three forms were 

 before him at the time, and the differences noticed; but for convenience 



