188 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
comes from South America. It is, however, very rough, and 
may possibly represent some unknown species allied, not to 
Attacus, but to Rhescyntis hippodamia, Cram. 
AMERICAN Group oF ATTACUS. 
Attacus erycina. 
Attacus erycina, Shaw, Nat. Mise. vii. t. 230 (1797). 
|| Phalena hesperus, Cram., Pap. Exot. i. t. 684 (1775). 
’ Bombix splendida, Pal. de Beauv., Ins. Afr.-Amér. p. 133, 
pl. 22, fi. 1,2 (1805 ?). 
A widely-distributed species in South America, and occurring 
as far north as Costa Rica. The British Museum has specimens 
of a hymenopterous parasite (Conurus flavicans, Spin., one of 
the Chalcidide), bred from its cocoons in Cayenne. Attacus 
splendidus, Beauy., from St. Domingo, may prove to be distinct, 
when we receive a series from that island ; its alleged occurrence 
in Texas is certainly an error. 
Attacus orizaba. 
Saturnia orizaba, Westw., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1858, p. 158, 
t. 382, f.2; Druce, Biol. Cent.-Amer. Lep. Het. i. p. 189, 
n. 2 (1886). 
Attacus splendida, Clem., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1860, 
p. 160; Hulst, Ent. Amer. 1. p. 160 (1885). 
Clemens’s description applies fairly well to A. orizaba, and 
not at all to A. erycina; moreover, Hulst asserts that ‘‘ A. splen- 
didus and orizaba have been proved, by breeding, to belong to 
the same species’’; whereas neither erycina nor orizaba are rare 
in collections; and the British Museum possess both sexes of 
both. Again, Druce states that A. orizaba is common in Mexico, 
but becomes rare further south; while A. erycina is a much 
scarcer and more southern species. 
NOTES ON THE SYNONYMY OF NOCTUID MOTHS. 
By Arrsur G. Burimr, F.L.S., F.Z.8., &e. 
(Continued from p. 141.) 
\ 
PROFESSOR SMITH is anxious to discover what my classification 
of the Noctuz is based upon; at the same time he does not 
mention upon what he bases his own. He agrees with me in 
one thing, that the Trifide and Quadrifide of Guenée represent 
natural groups, and that is certainly more than other American 
_ writers have admitted in practice, if they have accepted the dis- 
tinction theoretically. In fact, Guenée himself unfortunately 
failed to follow it strictly. ; 
