26 



■whereas Fitcli describes the larva of qiirrcialhcUa as being "flat," no known flat 

 larva of this genus niahes a tciitifoiiu niiiie. or an oval cocoou, snch as Fiteli de- 

 scril>e8. The larva of Clemens' species is cylindrieal, antl as I'Mtch's description is 

 ')Tot comparatU-e it is presumable that the word " flat" was not used in the sense in 

 whicii Chiuiens and Chambers use it for larva' of this genus, as distinguishing them 

 from the cylindrieal form. 



Frey and Boll (Stett. Ent. Zeit., XXXIV, "209) tliemselves suggest the possibility 

 that their loiif/csiridta may be the same as ornoitijimhriclla Clem., and tlicir d'-scrip- 

 tion is so clear tiiat, taking into consideration the simihir larval habits. I think there 

 can be no doubt that this is so. 



In the Cincinnati Quarterly Journal of Science (II, 229), Chambers professes an 

 acquaintance with argentifimhrieUa Clem, and confirms its identity with longenlriaia F. 

 & 13. (although he subsequently treats them as separate species in his index), but he 

 fails to recognize his own fuscocosiclla, described shortly before that date, as falling 

 nnder the same description. Chambers does not mention ever having taken or bred 

 (trf/eutifimhriella, but there is a single specimen from Kentucky in his collection, now 

 in tlio Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., about which Dr. llagen 

 writes (Papilio, IV, 151) : '■^Arge.ntilimhrieUa Chb., I, Ky. (very bad condition ; perhaps, 

 ? huH/cstrinta Frey)." It was probably owing to the condition of his specimen that 

 Chambers failed to see that his description of //(srofos/cZ/a. corresponded with it. I 

 have a specimen of the latter species from Dr. Riley, from Washington, D. C, aud a 

 specimen of artjoiiiftmhrkUa compared with Clemens' type iu the collection of the 

 American Entomological Society at Philadelphia. They are evidently the same. 



Jt is somewhat doubtful whether this insect was first j)ublicly named by Clemens 

 or Fitch. Fitch's d scription was publish d iu the annual report of the New York 

 State Agricultural Society, issued as Vol. XVIII of the Transactions of that society, 

 professedly for the year 1858. The title-page is dated "Albany, 18 9." The letter of 

 l>resentation from Mr. B. P. Johnsou to the Hon. D. W. C. Littlejohn, headed "In 

 assembly, April?, 1859," evidently antedates the real publication, ibron page .585 is a 

 letter from his excellency Jos 'ph A. Wright, American minister at Berlin, dated 

 "Berlin, May 11, 1859." Iu my copy is pasted the following letter: 



" State of Nkw YonK, Agricultural Rooms, 



"Jlbaui/, Mag 19,18(10. 

 "Sir: Will your lordship be pleased to accept f)r your library the eighteentli 

 volume of the Transactions of the New Y'ork State Agricultural Society for the year. 

 "I am, most respectfully, your very obedient servant, 



" B. P. Joiixsox, 

 " Corresponding Secretary. 

 " Lord Wal-sixgham, 



" President Royal Agrlcnltnral Society of England.'^ 



The wording of this letter seems to show that this volume of the Tiansactions was 

 not actually distributed until the year I8(i0, especially as the first three; flguies of the 

 date " 18 JU " are printed (not written) on the paper. Now, the date of Clemens' paper 

 in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, is Novemlter, 

 1859, and if Vol. XI, in which it ap peared, was issued before the agricultural volume', 

 Clemens' name must take precedence. 



Leaving my American friends who have access to the required information to cor- 

 rect me if I am wrong, I propose in the revised Index to give precedence to argen- 

 iijimhriellu Clem, over qnercialbella Fitch. 



