80 ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES. 



Var. Matrokalis, Freyer, N. Beitr., 403, aSai-lSoSi. Huhier, \Plantaginis) Sam. Eur. Schmctt 238 (1793-18'>7) 



Var. HosPiTA, Scl.iffermiller Syst. Verz.. 310, (177G) Oschenhehner, Scl.melt. Eur., Ill, 314, (1810).' Espa; (Plantaginis) 



30, (l<77-]i94). ffiiftne)-, Sam. Liir. Schmelt., 126, (1793-18-27I. 

 Var. Petrosa, Walker, Cat. Brit. Miis., Hi, C2G, (18.55). 



Eupsychoma Geomeirica, Grote, Proc. Ent. Soc , Phila., IV, p. 318, t. II, (1865). 

 Eiipsychoma Geometroides, Groie & Robinson, List N. Am. Lcp., \i. vii, (1865). 

 I woulfl here s^ay a lew words, more or les^ regarding our American examples;' Hie single type.s of C'cspiti.s and Cichorii which 

 were taken m California by M. Lorquin. present no difltrences from some of ihe endless variations found in Enrope- Ca;snitis is like 

 one of the common varieties that has the basal half of the secondaries black, and Cichorii, really, has no points in par'ticular lo distin- 

 guish it from the ordinary European examples; not even its size will save it, as I have trans- Atlantic examples ecinallvas small and one 

 d.auniling still smaller; it may not be out of place here to quote in full-the author's remarks which follow his technical description of 

 Ciclioru. ' riiis species is smaller than N. Caespitis, and however variable in ornamentation it may prove to be will be rc-idilv dislin 

 guished by the black fringes and clear yellow bands of the upper surface of primaries. The larvie "of these speci'es are stated lo'be luiite 

 distinct, and to be found on different food planis," * The black fringes may distinguish it from the .single example which served as ihe 

 foundation lor Ciespitis, but they won t separate it from any number of European examples, one of which, now before me lias ihe frinaes 

 on all wings black, another has the fringes black and yellow, according as these colours on the surface extend to the margin tlie like 

 colours also prevail on the fringes ; the same applies lo the var. Hospita, both European and American examples. As" regards diflerence 

 of iarvieand food plant; if the student chooses to confine himself to closet study, entirely neglecting to see nature under more favourable 

 circurastances, he must not be disappointed if error is the result; I thought that the omnivorous appetite of the Arctian larve was too 

 well known for any one to base specific distinctions on what they eat; I have had them lo feed on anything from grass to an old "creen 

 pasteboard box, and I doubt if a green thing exists that they would not attempt to digest if vou give th4m a chance Too much stress is 

 also often laid on difl^erence in appearance of caterpillars, and that too in the face of the fact that same species in various <.enera are nro- 

 duced from larvae presenting most remarkable differences of colouration ; it is needless to enumerate such ; it will be sufficient to refer lo 

 tac. Imperialis, Ihyreus Abbotii, various (iraptas, ete., etc., nor can I well see why there should not be variation in the larvse of the 

 same species, as well as in the imago. 



We now come to var. Petrosa, examples of which I have as yet .seen none from Europe, though I have little doubt but thatthev may occur 

 there; this is the form re-de.scribed later by Mr. Grote, as Geometrica, who allied it lo Ctenucha and created the genus Fun.;vchoma for 

 Its reception, pLacing it in the Zygsnids! t That Mr. Walker should have considered it a distinct species is not so much "a matter of 

 surprise, he probably not haying seen the many intermediate varieties, but lo create, as Mr. Grote did, a new genus for a Xemeophila 

 and place tt with the Zygsnidfe, is about out-Hcroding Herod. Why the specific name was changed to Geometroides in G & R's List 

 A. Am. Lep I do not know; in the original description and plate it is Geometrica, but whatever name was meant to be retained "is 

 comparatively of little moment, since this Zyga^nid Arctian ally of Eudryas must lower its pretensions and fall back to Stephen's rrenus 

 Kemeophila and Walker's name of Petrosa, and sland thus: Nemeophila Plantaginis L., var. Petrosa Wlk ■ t. = 



The wonderful and countless variations occurring among the Arctians are too well known to need more than a passing notice but I 

 cannot refrain from citing a few; on t. 5, Illustrations Zyg. et. Bombyc, by R. H. ,«lretcli, are 16 figures representing nine varieiies of 

 Lcpt!irctia Lena, Boisd., and they are most astonishingly dissimilar, some having primaries grev and secondaries yellow with uliin black 

 margin, some have secondaries spotted in various ways, some liave them red, others have .secondaries all black, and white snots or b-irs 

 on primaries, and in my possession are eighteen examples received from the author of the above work, all of which are difiUnt more 

 or less, from his figures ; one lias all the wings entirely black on upper surface. On t. 3 of same work are three figures of Epicalli'a Vir- 

 ginalis, Boisd., one with yellow secondaries having broken black bands, one with black secondaries with ochraceous spots and the third 

 Willi the exception of a few small spots, has the secondaries entirely black, and in the eight examples in my cabinet 'are all sorts of 

 intermediate forms between these. Of Arctia Caja L., the varieties are almost endless ; they have red hind wiiigs, oran-^e ones and yel- 

 low ones, with three spots, five spots, six spots, spots and bands, spots connected and spots isolated, one example from British \m Ins 

 the upper wings almost entirely bro^yn, the white being reduced to fine lines; and there are examples in which the upper wing; are 

 entirely brown and the lower ones entirely black. But to return to Plantaginis; I have received, at various times of European and 

 American examples twenty-seven of the ordinary form in many variations, besides of var. Hospita, six from Europe and five from 

 Colorado and Aev.-.da, of var Petrosa nine from Colorado, Nevada, etc. ; some of these latter have the secondaries entirely black and 

 with three white, di.sconnected marks on primaries; others have a white anal spot on secondaries, and four pale marks on primaries 

 connected (all except the spot within the cell, which is always free, I in some instances and in others not, one example has the two of the 

 white marks connected in one of the primaries whilst on the oppo.site wing the same marks are not uniled ; in some there is so much 

 pale patching that it becomes hard to say to which variety they belong, whether lo Hospiia or Petrosa 



Of Hospiia, I believe the first examples found on this continent were taken by Mr. Mead, who captured quite a number of both that var 

 and I etros.a in Colorado ; of the latter I also received specimens taken bv Mr. Drexler many years since, and by the Wheeler Exned of 

 /},' '''l"'^",'''*^ from others at various time.s. I noticed also an example, among a number" of unspread Rocky Ml. Lep in ihe coll 

 01 Mr. bchonhorn, in Washington ; this also was from the Rocky Mts., and is very close to the type of Petrosa. ' 



March 17, 1874. 



_, ..P^^^ApSIUS SMINTHEUS, Dbldy— I was formerly a strong advocate of the distinctness of this form from the Alpine P 

 Delius, E.sp., bu this will only serve as another illustration of the folly of arriving at such conclusions without ihe fullest material for 

 comparison, for having I.alely received examples of P. Intermedins, Men., from the Altai Mts., S. W. Siberia, which is by all Euronean 

 authorities considered to be but a variety ot P. Delius, I can only add that our Rocky Ml. P. Sminlheus is also but a form of Delius 

 as between the examples of Smintheus from Colorado and Montana, and the lately received Inlermedlus from Altai there is simnlv 

 no diflerence vvhalever, they are identical; and so sure were the trans-Atlantic" Lepidopterisis of this fact, that in the greai C- ta- 

 Jogues of both Staudinger and Kirby, Smintheus is cited as a variety of Delius; and Mr. Hewitson has repeatedly expressed 'o me 

 the same opinion. "^ • "--'i^' "=■=<=" .u iub 



*Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, I, p. 338, (1868), Grote & Robinson. 

 T\' ^ "J^- '^r7^i\'^ ^^""^ ""'^'^ '° <^'"""^''" ^°<1 presenting some analogies in the neureation to Eudryas." Grote, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. 



