OF THE 



VOL. LTI. BROOKLYN, NOVEMBER, 1880. No. 7. 



Notes upon the Genus Catocala, with Descriptions 

 of New Varieties and Species. 



By Henry Edwards. 



It has long been my intention to publish as exhaustive a mono- 

 graph as possible of this somewhat puzzling group, and to present 

 colored figures of all the known forms, but, as a work of this charac- 

 ter cannot be made complete without access to the various collections 

 throughout the country, it must of necessity involve considerable 

 labor and more time than has hitherto been at my disposal ; but I 

 hope at no distant day to be in a position to announce that my plan 

 will be carried into effect. In the mean time, I may briefly state 

 that it is my unalterable conclusion that every form bearing distinc- 

 tive characters, whether to be known hereafter as a variety or as a 

 species, should be recognized by a special name, and, though in the 

 present instance I need not more fully enter into my views upon this 

 subject, I am of the opinion that, in the adoption of such a course, 

 much confusion will be avoided, and a better understanding of the 

 genus we are now considering will ultimately be reached. Upon 

 this ground, I therefore offer the following descriptions, adhering, as 

 I have always done, to the names of the female characters of Shake- 

 speare for those of the new forms of Catocala which come under my 

 notice. 



In noting the species and their varieties I have followed the order 

 of Grote's check-list. 



