GRAPTA GRACILIS. Grote a Robinson. 



Ann. Lvc, Nat. ffist. N. Y., VIJI, p. 432, (1867). 

 Edwards, Syn. N. Am. Butt. p. 20, (1872). 

 Vanessa Gracilis, Kirby, Cat. Diurnal Lep., p. 182, (1871). 

 Grapla C. Argentenm, var. Scudder, Proc. Ess. Inst., Ill, p. 169, (1862). 



( PLATE Vin, FIG. 14, ■?. ) 



Male and Female. Expand 2 inches. 



Has the exact size, shape and markings of the western G. Zephyrus,* bnt on the upper surface the colour 

 is much deeper, being about the same tint as G. Progne, the marginal band of .secondaries, as well as pri- 

 maries, is dark brown, whereas in its western representative the dark marginal band is confined to the primaries 

 alone. 



Under surface marked also exactly line for line as in G. Zephyrus, but the colour of inner half of all 

 wings is darker than in the latter, and of a maroon or reddish brown shade inclining to claret on its outer 

 edge, the darkness of this inner part of wings as well as of the exterior margin sets the intervening white mesial 

 band out in bold relief making it, certainly, the most beautiful of all our species or varieties, for which it is 

 time and observation will have to show for it is not yet given to earthly beings to know where these species 

 begin or end. My belief is, though, that this is the same as G. Zephyrus, for there is no difference save in 

 depth of colour, our eastern examples being much the darker. 



G. Gracilis is at home on Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, G. Zephrus is from Rocky Mountains of 

 Colorado, Nevada, &c. ; there is nothing remarkable in these two being identical as I believe them to be, when 

 ■we consider G. Gracilis is found in the same locality as Chionobas Semidea and Plusia Hochenwarthii,t both 

 of which are also found in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. 



Plate VIII, Fig. 13, is the immature larva of Papilio Anticostiensis, a representation of which I promised 

 on page 49 ; it is from an alcoholic example brought by Mr. Couper from Anticosti Island last summer. 



Dec, 1873. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES. 



EUDRYAS. — In Notes on Zygaenidse,]: Dr. Packard refers Eudryas to that family and associates it with Alypia, and later, in his 

 "Guide," lie still maintains the same position, and to further confirm his theory, he states that he received " a piece of wood burrowed 

 by E. Grata," and also, " as E. Unio is now known to burrow in the stems of plants, our opinion that Eudryas is allied to the CastniaJ 

 would seem to be confirmed," &c. ; on the same ground, then, Cryptophasia and Cossus should be placed with Castnia, as they are borers to 

 a fearful extent, but mnch, I doubt, if any amount of boring would ever bring thein to the Castniinfe, bore they ever so wisely. 



In 18<)3 a third species from Texas was described by Mr. Grote, and for which he created the genus C'iris, calling it Ciris Wilsonii,|| 

 it differed from the typical Eudryas in having the antennw pectinated.. In 1868 he described another, also from Texas, calling it 

 Euscirrhopterus Gloveri,1[ this one has filiform antenuif like Unio and Grata, these new species as well as the two old ones he has 

 placed in sub-familia Castniin*, a la Packard, near .\lypia in his and Robinson's Catalogue, before referred to in these pages. At first 

 he appears to have had some misgivings, and ( on p. 321, Vol. IV, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., ) makes some very sensible observations 

 regarding the habits of Eudryas so entirely. difli?rent from those of Alypia, but even there after stating that ihe former is nocturnal, &c., 

 he cannot, however, get nut of the Zygaenidie with it ; it still must stick there in such discordant company, but, it may go a little lower 

 down near Ctenucha and allies, and finally he gave in, and adopted Dr. Packard's views, on page vi in the catalogue before mentioned. 



Dr. Harris placed Eudryas in the Bombycid<e near Notodonta, and Mr. Walker assigned it to the Noctuse. To tell the truth the 

 beautiful things do not appear to fit in anywhere very well, but to place them with the Zygaenida" is too absurd ! it is almost ecjual to 

 putting Smerinthus with Colias, and could only be the result of ideas picked up during a sojourn in Schlar-affen Land. 



That their place is with the Noctuie there ought not to be the least doubt, and their probable position is near Miselia or Hadena. 



*Edwards, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, Vol. Ill, p. 16, (1870). 



tPlusia Ilochenwarthii, Hochenwarth. Beitrage zur Insectengeschichte 1785, 335, T. 7, f. 2, P. Divergens, Fabr. Mant. 162, (1787). 

 P. Ignea, Orote, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., II, p. 274, (1863). 

 tProc Essex. Inst.. IV, (1864). 

 ^Heaven forb id the bans. 

 llProc Ent, Soc, Vol. II, p. 65, (1863). 

 f Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, Vol. U, p." 185, (1867). 



68 



