48. BULLETIN OF THE BROOKLYN ENT. HOC. 



and below and sometimes at the sides with bristly or hairy lashes, and C. 

 with the eyes entirely hairy : a single hair usually arising from each angle 

 of the facets of the compound eye. Thess hairs are sometimes heavy 

 enough to be seen bv the unaided eye, but usually a lens magnifying 

 from two to five diameters is required. 



The divisions are divided into §§ according as the tibiae are or are not 

 spinulated, and sub-divided according to the armature of the anterior tib- 

 iae, the modifications of the clypeus, and the form of the palpi. 



These divisions are entirely artificial and the sequence of the genera 

 in the synopsis is not that which is to be followed in the systematic arrange- 

 ment of the group, the object being only to enable, the collector to place 

 any unknown Noctuid into its proper genus with but little trouble. 



I have carefully compared the American, with allied genera of Euro- 

 pean Noctuidae, and I have found it necessary to refer some of ours to 

 European genera, while others were created on bases so fine as to be un- 

 tenable and I have therefore rejected them. Wherever this has been done, 

 I have given my reasons for doing it in a note. 



Believing that structural differences alone should authorize genera, 

 I have rejected all based on color merely, and all those founded on mod- 

 ifications of a modification of some structural character. 



Many of the genera are based on a single species, often on a single 

 specimen; it thus happened that I have been unable to make personal ex- 

 amination of all the genera but have been compelled to rely on des- 

 criptions, which were often very imperfect. Some genera were never 

 described so far as I can ascertain but were created by a mere designation 

 of the type; these genera where I have not seen the type I have of course 

 been unable to place in the synopsis: I regard them as of no validity be- 

 cause never properly described but give a list of them at the end of the 

 synopsis: other genera are so imperfectly described that it was impossible 

 to place them and those also I add with their descriptions, such as they 

 are. 



I have to acknowledge my obligations to Messrs. Graef, Hulst, Tep- 

 per and Henry Edwards, for the loan of specimens not in my collection, 

 and for suggestions, while engaged in my work; to Prof. F. G. Schaupp 

 I owe thanks for a large number of European and American Noctuidae. 



A * before a genus name indicates that I have not seen it in nature: 

 the numbers appended to others refer to the notes at the end of the syn- 

 opsis. 



